Pregnancy Weeks 31, 32, 33, & 34

Week 31 - I had my prenatal check up this week.  Timm actually went with me for the first time this whole pregnancy and got to hear the baby's heartbeat.  (We remember hearing Judah's heartbeat the first time.  We couldn't stop imitating the whooshing sound all night.)  Judah was with us too and when he saw the fetal doppler he freaked out and cried worse than he does with shots.  I think he was nervous the doctor was going to "hurt" mommy but everything ended up being fine.  He is not a huge fan of medical equipment for some reason.  As for symptoms I have been experiencing very bad back pain, the sensation of being out of breath all the time, extra tired, slightly emotionally blue, and very hungry.

Week 32 - My energy level seems to have taken a turn for the worst.  I've been feeling slow, lazy, and tired.  Must be my body working extra hard on growing the baby.  This week too has been incredibly busy and I've been missing Timm a lot.  Knowing how busy he is makes me slightly nervous to handle raising a toddler and newborn alone for the six weeks he'll be in school until the Summer break comes.  The Lord is gracious though and would not give me this challenge if He thought I could not handle it though.  For that I am thankful and encouraged.

Week 33 - This week was rather eventful and filled with odd pregnancy symptoms.  It started with getting my prenatal check up at 33.2 weeks.  This will be the last check up I'm allowed to bring Judah, since they'll be checking for progression from here on out.  As for symptoms the top of my belly hurts so bad, as if I have a bruise or pulled muscle.  The sensation is an odd burning feeling and worsens when I bend over.  Timm thinks its my muscles stretching a part to accommodate the growth of the baby, he's probably right. I will be glad to be relieved of this pain soon though.  Another odd symptom I have been having is waking up with a headache on the left side of my head every single day.  It usually fades throughout the day, but is quite annoying. It has since gotten better and I feel no headaches in my current state of 35 weeks, but it was a little nerve wracking when my doctor suggested I see a neurologist if it didn't get better, seeing as though headaches are one of the main signs of pre-eclampsia.  Thankfully, that is not the case.
     As far as being tired, I am able to "crash" on a moments notice if you show me a bed. The strangest thing in the world has happened to me during this pregnancy and that is the space between my two front teeth has been closing up.  After 28 years it decides to stop having a gap. Pregnancy related? I have no clue, weird though. Also, my head has been super itchy and I haven't changed anything about my shampoo too recently.  I changed it like 2 months ago, but its only been itchy lately.
     Also, my birthday was this week.  28 years old!  I totally don't feel it.  It is odd because every year since 2009 I've been pregnant at some point.  Wondering, how long this trend will last!

Week 34 - Just 3 weeks to full term (37 weeks, which is exactly when I had Judah) and just 5 weeks 1 day until my scheduled C-section. Once the one month mark hits (in about a week) is when I'll feel like there is a real countdown. Although, anything can happen at anytime, as I have already found out.
     My main symptom this week is MY ACHING BACK! I honestly feel like my back legs and groin are going to all fall apart at a moments notice.  Turning in bed is next to impossible and I'm beginning to feel extra warm these days, could be hot flashes I'm not sure.  Sleeping through the night has gone out the window from this point until who knows when, leaving me extra tired during the day, and with Judah only taking one nap a day, it leaves me little time to sleep unless I let every household chore go by the wayside. Again, I know this is temporary, but will be glad when my new baby boy starts sleeping through the night and I get sleep again : )

I am officially 35 weeks and 4 days today!  

Three weeks and 4 days, or less, until I meet my brand new baby boy!

Pregnancy Weeks 27, 28, 29 & 30!

My belly at 32.3 weeks.

Week 27 - This week marks the beginning of my third trimester. This is going way back now, but symptom wise, I think I was feeling pretty good.  I had a few friends stop in this week so that kept me company and kept those pregnancy blues away.  The hormonal blues have definitely crept up on me this pregnancy and really its no fun, for anyone. But this too shall pass.

Week 28 - This week I had my prenatal check up and glucose test.  I had been psyching myself out with drinking the glucola drink for the month that it was sitting in my fridge.  When it came time to drink limondex, after my breakfast of two scrambled eggs on a waffle and a small glass of milk, I decided to chug it.  The drink turned out not bad at all and oddly enough I almost enjoyed it.  Luckily I passed my glucola test with flying colors.  I weighed in at around 165 this time and got to have another ultrasound.  Mind you this ultrasound was on one of those old machines so, not very clear.  I did like how my doctor commented that he was getting so big that he didn't fit in the screen anymore! : )

Week 29 - This week along with past weeks, marks just how bad my back pain has become.  It feels nearly impossible to turn over from side to side.  I usually feel fine during the day, but the pressure from the baby must really weigh on my back when I lie down. (Now as I write this at 32.3 weeks, its getting hard to even shift positions while standing, whether it be putting my socks on or stepping in and out of the tub to shower).

Week 30- This week was a week of symptoms.  I have had the worst restless legs.  Sitting through a movie is near impossible without having to get up and walk around or stretch my legs out and turn my ankles or anything to keep my legs moving.   I also have been experiencing mild leg cramps.  With Judah my leg cramps were horrible to the point where when I got out of bed I could hardly walk.  Luckily this time around I only need to bend my feet back to relieve the pressure only on occasion rather than every night.  I have also had major pressure from the baby when he decides to get cozy in a certain spot on either side of my belly.  The pressure is almost painful, especially if I'm trying to stand up since he feels like he's right under my rib cage.    
     The most significant symptom that has started is Braxton Hicks contractions.  I am not sure I got them this early with Judah, but I do get them whenever I sit up, which is exactly the same way I got BH with Judah.  The sensation is odd since your whole belly tightens. When I first started noticing them I didn't think that it was BH because of how much pressure the baby has been putting on my belly, but I thought to myself that he couldn't make my entire belly this hard, so I figured BH must have started!

I'm officially 32 weeks and 3 days today!

Pregnancy Week 23, 24, 25 & 26!

My 26.5 week belly!

Week 23 -This week Timm was off school and we were debating whether or not we wanted to work on the baby's room, since we would be switching our room with the one furthest away from the heater.  The switching needs to be done because we want our babies nice and toasty in the winter and cool in the summer since the A/C's would be in the same proximity as their rooms.   Although this was our plan, we actually ended up NOT moving around any furniture or packing up anything as expected since we really thought we would be purchasing a home very soon.  What would be the point of switching rooms if we would just be packing up everything anyway, right?  Of course we didn't find out until two weeks later, but we decided against the house after a rather revealing inspection, which showed a plethora of home improvements that were simply out of our price range.  So that was that.
     Pregnancy-wise this week was basically pretty standard.  I had no doctors appointments and no odd pregnancy symptoms.  The only things that were becoming more pronounced were the size of my belly and the need to pee everytime I changed positions, whether that be getting up from a chair or changing positions in bed.  This incessant need to pee kind of made me not want to move, because I knew where I'd be moving onto next - the bathroom!


Week 24 - This week I had my 24 week appointment and I need to say first and foremost, I LOVE MY OB/GYN DOCTOR!!!! We have been through a lot together with the two miscarriages, delivering Judah via C-Section, and now my new baby boy!  He is the friendliest, caring, most personable doctor I have ever encountered (as being my own personal doctor because I just so happen to absolutely love Judah's pediatrician as well!)  Anyway, the main reason why I am saying this is because I had written in my last pregnancy update that I would probably not be having anymore ultrasounds, but the topic of ultrasounds just happened to come up during my appointment he said "Just remind me next time and we can take another peek at him with our (portable) machine."  I was so happy when he said this because it would be such a treat.  My first ultrasound was on one of those older portable machines at 5 weeks 4 days pregnant and even though it wasn't a full on scheduled ultrasound tech administered scan, it still counts! Especially since I get a little pictures each time : )
     Well onto the results of my appointment.  The heartbeat was good, belly looked good, no weird symptoms, but wait, I weigh 160 pounds???? I still have 15 weeks to gain more weight!  Well I did weigh 170 lbs. with Judah so hopefully I won't gain too much more.  Although I might not be exactly watching what I eat as carefully as I normally would in terms of calories, I know that with pregnancy gaining weight is inevitable, but I do honestly feel as though my belly is just bigger overall with this baby than I was with Judah.  As for other symptoms, I am still continually peeing all the time and heartburn finally kicked in. (Lots of hair perhaps? Just kidding! Those old wives tales haven't really worked for me.)

Week 25 - This week has been the ultimate week of feeling emotional.  At a moments notice I will become weepy.  Before I was pregnant, I'd have a chance at keeping myself from crying if I felt it coming on, but now with being pregnant it is as if I have an on and off switch directly linked to my tear ducts.  I will say "Timm, I'm going to cry" and I do! There is just NO stopping it.  I had a good crying spell after not getting the house, not because of not moving, but because I knew we wouldn't have all the modern conveniences that we lack in the apartment when the baby comes, such as a washer and dryer.

Same 26.5 belly, just a little bit further view : )

     Symptom wise I can't seem to get full no matter how much I eat.  I get hungry after about 2 hours at the very most and if I don't eat something substantial I have that pit-like feeling in my belly until I eat again.  My baby boy has also been moving around like crazy, pressing against my belly so I can feel body parts, and his newest ability is hiccuping.  That constant little poking feeling from inside my lower belly is his head going up and down with his uncontrollable hiccups, which he seems to get quite often!

Week 26 - Although not completely over yet, I figured enough was enough, I have to get this latest pregnancy post up.  It has been a month!  So, as for this week, I would have had my update in earlier but I had the WORST pounding headache for three days straight.  I thought to myself "If I have this for one more day I'm calling the doctor!"  I just had to sleep it off and put a cold cloth on my head every night.  It seemed to help and I didn't even take any medication.  Also, I had been feeling nauseous, which is very odd.  So nausea plus headache was not awesome.  I was thinking, wow I hope this isn't pre-eclampsia! (That's me being paranoid.)  Thankfully I stopped feeling both nauseous and my headache was easing, but of course my back has been acting up again.  It is at the point now where I cannot stand on one leg and getting dressed is a challenge. My back and my inner legs feel so weak these days, I can't imagine three more months of feeling like this, but I'm sure I'll bare with it. So that's it for now.  At week 28 I'll be having another appointment and get to drink that lovely glucola drink to test for gestational diabetes.  Hopefully the results of that test will come out fine.  Just 12.2 more weeks or less now! Crazy!

I will officially be 27 weeks on Monday!

Pregnancy Weeks 21 & 22

Week 21 - This was the week I went back for my, what I think was my, last ultrasound for this pregnancy.  Kinda sad, but at least there is nothing serious that I need to keep going back to get more ultrasounds for.  It was great to see him again and see how much he's grown even in just the past 3 weeks.  He looks a lot more "plump" and so baby like in the 2D ultrasound.  We had the 4D done again, just for fun at the discretion of the tech, and it is a little strange, but so intriguing at the same time.  

When you look at the 4D photos you will see there is something cutting across the front of his face and no it is not a gaping hole in his head, but probably the umbilical cord or an arm.  The other appendage you see to his left is his arm, whether it is left or right I can't quite tell.

One thing you can see clearly in this photo is how adorably cute his lips are!  They look a lot fuller than Judah's but I guess you never know until the baby comes out.  Just 3 1/2 months left!

Week 22 - This is the week that my back started to hurt.  I will occasionally get sharp stabbing pains in my lower back and it is probably from a combination of lifting Judah and my poor posture.  At least I can fix my posture, lifting Judah I will just have to limit.  The backpain radiates into my tail bone but not quite as bad as it did when I was pregnant with Judah.  Another symptom that started this week was leg cramps.  Once again, with Judah, the leg cramps were horrendous.  Somedays I could not even walk when I got out of bed, but so far with this pregnancy it hasn't been unbearable.  I just remember to flex my foot backwards and it eases up pretty quickly.  Of course he has been moving like crazy as well!

Judah was so sick for a month but is finally starting to get better so that has been a relief to me since I was lacking great amounts of sleep and dishing out tons of money for doctor's appointments and Rx's, so I am thankful that is over.  I am just looking forward now to enjoying the rest of my pregnancy with Judah by giving him all my undivided attention while I can and it is such a pleasure.  I am so thankful to have him as my son.

I am now officially 23 weeks and 5 days today!

Pregnancy Weeks 19 & 20

Week 19 - This was the week of awful tiredness.  Judah and Timm both became sick and taking care of a whiny 1 year old who can't stop coughing at night will make anyone tired. I felt so bad for him all week, but we finally brought him to the doctor's.  Luckily what we thought was strep came back from the long distance lab as negative, so thankfully we double checked that.

Besides being tired I have felt really hungry often having to get up in the middle of the night to eat.  I have also grown significantly since Thanksgiving and not just from the food!   Speaking of food, this week I went out to eat twice and got dessert twice!  Such a decadent treat.  If you are out and about may I suggest the Brownie Obsession at TGIFriday's, I couldn't believe how good it was!

Week 20 - Speaking of sick, guess who is, me! I was surprised I didn't catch anything for as long as I did with two sick men in the house, but inevitably it happened and I am sluggish, tired, with my pounding head.  I am just wondering how moms of more than one child ever get by while being sick and taking care of their kids, its gotta be tough.  I give credit to those women, although I will probably become one of them!

So, I had to officially take my wedding rings off. How sad : (  I really don't like not wearing them, but the same thing happened with Judah.  My fingers swelled and I couldn't wear my rings for at least 5 months.  Some people are lucky and never have to remove their rings, but my body seems to retain water really easily, as you could see from my postpartum Judah pictures.  

This was also the week that I had my monthly check up with the doctor and he said everything looked great on the ultrasound and the heartbeat sounded great as usual.  I do have to go back for one more ultrasound because they could not get the profile shot of the baby or a picture of his heart.  I am definitely not complaining about getting another sneak peak at my baby boy : )

The most amazing part of this week is the amount of kicking I am feeling.  Timm has still not felt him from the outside, but he is moving like crazy.  I think Timm will be able to feel him soon because I thought for a moment that I saw him kick from the outside of my belly.  Once again, he moved to the lower portion of my belly and I could feel the solidness of him, even more-so this time.  I am pretty sure it was his back this time.  Very exciting!  Just 19 weeks or less!

I am officially 21 weeks today! I'll get a belly shot in before Christmas once I feel better : ) And maybe some more second baby boy shots too!

19 Weeks 1 Day Belly Shot

Here I am, nearly to the half way point of 40 weeks, which I won't be going that far anyway.  But, its just easier to think of it that way in my head.

Getting bigger!

Pregnancy Weeks 17 & 18 & Gender

Okay, so I'm a bit behind on my posts, but its been kinda busy so I'll do my best to update.  My memory might not serve me well, but I'll do my best!

Week 17 -This is where my memory is lacking.  Between being super tired and being pregnant, my memory has faded.  I know that this week was pretty relaxed and we visited with friends from Canada all weekend.  I must not have felt too miserable or else I'd probably remember.  I do know I've been craving spicy foods and have been extra tired, but that's really it!  One important thing is, the day I turned 17 weeks was the day I most certainly knew that my baby kicked and it wasn't some stomach gurgle : )

Week 18- So this was our big ultrasound week for the anatomy scan.  We of course found out the baby is a BOY!!!!! At the ultrasound I got to experience something that most people need to pay for and that was the "4D" ultrasound where you can see the outline of the baby.  Of course he is looking quite skinny and usually its done toward the end of pregnancy to get a "cuter" picture, but we were still really glad we got to experience this.  As for us, we are super excited because Judah gets to have a brother and we don't need to buy any clothes! 

 
I am also feeling TONS of movement, its great.  I even felt our baby boy move to one side of my belly and I could feel the outline of some part of his body; the area felt very solid.  This week I have been ridiculously tired, hungry, and well a little irritable.  Its hard to keep your emotions balanced when your hormones are going crazy.  I also feel like I grew a lot this week.  I also am starting to lose my balance whenever I squat down to Judah; I always end up falling right on my bum.  I am definitely noticeably pregnant now, but I can't believe I have so much more time to go.  I am not even half way, or I might be, who knows.  Getting there though.

As for the baby's name, we are deciding not to tell the name to everyone publicly, but privately to certain people.  It may come out publicly because we've already slipped a bunch, but we just ask if you know the name, please don't put it out there for the world to see, appreciate it!

I will officially be 19 weeks tomorrow!  I'll get a belly shot in soon!

Pregnancy Weeks 15 & 16

Week 15 - Another easy breezy week of course with a few signature symptoms.  My boobs are so soooore! Ouch!  I notice it each time I stand up when I do my nightly bathroom trips, which is about three to four times a night.   I think I need to wear a bra to bed or something. My other signature symptom is excessive upon excessive amounts of gas!  I am so bloated it doesn't matter what I eat.  I could eat a bowl of cereal and milk and you'd think my insides were the site of some major war from all the explosions you hear.  I thought I may have woken Judah up from his sleep a couple times.

Week 16 - My new name is now Hungry Hungry Hippo.  Wow!  I cannot get enough food ever it seems.  I feel like a totally bottomless pit and was surprised when I found out I only gained three pounds last month.  I had my 16 week appointment making me officially four months pregnant, woo hoo!  I got to hear the heartbeat of my baby again.  The bpm was in the 150's range, which seems to be the pretty constant rate that its been going.  Judah's was always very high, which obviously disproves the high heart rate means a girl theory.  My doctor was happy with how everything seemed to be going and I got to schedule my anatomy scan ultrasound.  I'm so excited!
     Time is flying, sort of.  I had a few moments this week where I felt like saying "Ugh, another 20 + weeks?" because I feel bigger and a little uncomfortable and the hunger and frequent urination is getting old quick.  Another unwelcome and rather early symptom, this time around, is swelling.  My fingers are already slightly swelling and I only noticed this because I had to take my ring off the other day and was thinking "Why is this on so tight?!"  Then I realized the reason and got a little sad because I don't like not wearing my wedding ring.  Other than that though, things are going very smoothly and I am ready to start getting things moved around in the house.  That is going to be a big project, but its got to be done. Until then, I'll just keep myself busy with my crafts and my extremely funny and busy toddler.

I am officially 17 weeks pregnant today! Feeling TONS of movement! 
Nine days til the gender scan!

TWO WEEKS!

Two weeks from today at 4pm I'll be finding out if I have a boy or a girl!  That'll be the day before Thanksgiving.  It is still so hard to believe that I am even having another baby.  It is so surreal at times.  If you'd like to find out the results stay connected! 

Pregnancy Weeks 13 - 14

I'm going to combine these two weeks as well I just can't remember what happened during week 13.  Sorry about my forgetfulness, but I'll just have to chalk it up to as part of the pregnancy and you'll just have to forgive me.

Weeks 13 & 14- Fetal movement!!!! Or at least I'm pretty sure. I know what it feels like because I've already had a baby once before.  It is funny how things come back to you because it really only feels like yesterday that I was pregnant with Judah.  But seeing as it is probably fetal movement, it has certainly increased and been more noticeable in the recent days than in earlier moments. 
     My symptoms right now are that my body is just very sore, especially at night.  When I get up to go to the bathroom at night it feels like I  am battling the flu in terms of body aches on top of feeling like I have a bolder resting on my bladder.  As I get up to go, I literally cannot stand up straight because my bladder feels so heavy.  I have been tired and usually do best if I get about ten hours of sleep at night, but Judah hasn't been letting me sleep as much with his either lack of naps or sudden decision to sleep three less hours a night.
     My main symptom, which has occurred throughout the pregnancy, but is getting more prominent, is the fact that my muscles feel like they are just floating in my body.  There are times when my muscles will do this rolling type sensation, which oddly replicates the feeling of a baby rolling.  It just feel like they are very loose and definitely not in their usual place.  I guess my body is just getting ready to expand more, which by the way its amazing how much I've grown in the past few weeks. I'll continue to add more photos of the belly as time goes on, but I recently just posted one here.  So until next time!

 I am officially 15 weeks and 1 day today!

    

First Belly Picture, Second Pregnancy

I finally got Timm to take a belly shot of me.  I am at 14 weeks and 4 days pregnant with baby number two.  Keep in mind we had a late dinner : )

Pregnancy Weeks 10-12

Week 10 - To be quite honest this week was much like weeks 8 & 9 with nothing too crazy to mention, only the occasional nausea.  I did return to the doctor AGAIN because I literally had gone to the bathroom twenty times in one morning.  I was like "what is wrong with me?" He thankfully said that there was nothing wrong with my urine, but that I probably had some sort of irritation.  I was prescribed something to help soothe it so I wouldn't be in the bathroom all day and night like I was.  I actually never ended up taking it because everything kind of cleared up on its own in the next couple days and I haven't had any problems since, its been great! Living in the bathroom for any reason isn't fun.  I did get a quick ultrasound on one of their really old machines again.  Amazing to see that the baby has grown so much in just two weeks.

Click on pic to make me bigger!

Week 11 - This week was the week that would challenge me physically the most so far.  I have been so rediculously busy it is insane (hence my lack of updating) and if my baby can survive with the amount of sleep and food I've been getting this week, he or she can handle anything.  Between packing, going to a wedding, spending the day at my grandma's starting at 7am, and then spending the weekend in Maine in three different hotel rooms, needless to say I've been stretched far in my sleep.  As for symptoms, just tiredness from lack of sleep and occassional nausea.  Haven't felt much stretching or growth in my uterus at all, kinda weird.

Week 12 - I had my 12 week prenatal appointment this week.  There wasn't much to do or see, but I did hear my baby's heartbeat for the first time on the doppler.  First, I heard my heartbeat, then a minute later I heard the baby's and the heartbeat was so much faster, it was amazing.  He didn't tell me the exact bpm, but he said he liked what he heard and that's good enough for me.  The doctor did tell me that I will be able to find out the gender when I am 18 weeks, so just 6 short weeks away!  It'll be our Thanksgiving surprise.  
     Symptoms this week include stretching pains finally!  I have been even more nauseous than usual oddly enough and have found that I feel sore all over my body sometimes.  I can definitely tell my hormones are rushing with major emotions lately and I'm starting to mildly breakout for the first time this pregnancy.  I am still having cravings and am getting more hungry as time goes on.  My belly button is starting to get rather shallow and the hair on my belly is getting more noticeably thick.  I'm definitely in maternity clothes until further notice (yes, that means even post-pregnancy sadly, just like last time I bet).  Overall, feeling great though and glad to be ending my first trimester!

Belly shots will come soon!  I've been bugging Timm, but he's been awfully busy with school & grad school, so just keep him in your prayers.  

I am officially 13 weeks and 1 day today!

Pregnancy Weeks 8 -9 & Some Thoughts

The Pregnancy
Week 8- This week dragged on forever.  I had to return to the doctor for another checkup because I felt something wasn't right, as if I still had some sort of infection. Turns out my instincts were correct and I once again have a UTI, or more likely, just have the same one from before.  I have been put on medication for it again and have been praying that no matter what God will take it away because oddly enough, the nurse told me that if I got another UTI they wouldn't treat it until the time of delivery, does that make sense?  Fortunately when I went to the doctor I was given another quick ultrasound, on a very old machine, but nonetheless he said everything looked fine.  Praise God!
     Well besides the nausea, frequent use of the loo, and tiredness, not much has changed at all except one thing.  This change hit me hard and fast and that's emotions, which I'll explain a little bit later. I did not get enough sleep one day from a huge day of weddings and the next day had to spend another long stretch of time at church.  I was hitting rock bottom in my sleep quota and started crying and feeling terribly sick that day and had to go home.  I definitely will not push myself again.

My 8 week 4 day scan, measuring 8 weeks 3 days that morning.  Dr. J said everything looked great.

Week 9-  Thankful that this is my last week in the single digits and that time might actually move a little quicker.  My next prenatal appointment isn't until another 3 weeks from now but in just another 9 short weeks or so I'll find out what I'm having! I'll finally be able to start preparing a room in the house for the baby and know what types of things to buy.  The house search is still up in the air, but I know the Lord will help us find what we need, when we need it, for His timing is perfect.  As for symptoms I feel as though I feel the same all the time. Really nothing is different but I've been feeling a little more nauseous than usual and it comes at such random times.  I am ready for the second trimester already!

My Thoughts
First of all, it is the weirdest thing, I hardly feel pregnant at all.  If it weren't for the ultrasounds, ever so mild nausea, increased need to pee, and most importantly lack of a period, I honestly wouldn't know I was pregnant at all. I don't even feel like my belly is growing that much, although, that could be from the fact I am always in my pajamas since I'm a stay at home mom.  When you don't need to go out in public and put on regular clothes, I guess its hard to tell the difference when you're not trying to zip up or button your pants.
     Anyway, I feel as though the emotional aspect of my pregnancy is starting to kick in.  The part where I feel bad for myself that I'm going to get "fat" again, the part where if someone doesn't say "hi" to me I cry instantly, the part where I think "Am I in over my head?", and the part where I think "Does anyone actually care about how I'm feeling!?"  I know all of these things are irrational and just emotional things and I know full well the Lord will take care of my needs, especially if I ask in faith.
     One thing I do know for sure, is that when I start to feel the way I do, I need to look beyond myself and see that others need encouragement just as much as I do.  I need to refocus my attention on others rather than myself.  Easier said than done, but it must be done.

Questions I Often Ponder:
Can a mom still have a sense of self while being a mom?
How much time are you "allowed" to take for yourself to keep your own identity, especially in Christ?
If I take any time for myself does that mean I'm not giving my 100% all to my children, or is that impossible?

I am now officially 10 weeks and 1 day pregnant today! Double digits! Next goal...2nd Trimester!

Cravings

So one of my symptoms that I forgot to mention was my cravings.  They are so definitely obvious.  With Judah I hardly craved certain food at all but for the first two to three weeks all I wanted was everything covered in melted cheese: pizza, home made nachos, grilled cheese, etc.  One theory on cravings is that a woman craves what her body needs to support the changes going on hormonally.  I guess I needed the calcium.

Subway Veggie Delite. So delicious.

A good stand by, minimal chocolate.

Additional cravings have included Veggie Delite's from Subway, specifically with oil, vinegar, pepper and a little salt (I had four foot longs in three days time), spaghetti & meatballs from Riccardi's, one regular McDonald's cheeseburger, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  Weird huh? Anyone else have crazy cravings? Or aversions? (I def have those too, but they go from a moment to moment basis).

The Reveal: Part 2

(Continued September 9, 2011)

Today was my ultrasound...

...and it went as well as it possibly could go.

Here is the photo, although hard to see it showed a baby measuring exactly the right amount of days gestation with a heartbeat of 156 bpm.  I am relieved and happy that Judah will be a big brother.  I just pray and hope that the pregnancy continues to go well, but trust me I am doing my best to put this all in the Lord's hands. Any and all words of encouragement are welcome. Thank you!

This picture was taken at 7 weeks & 4 days gestation.

Clarification Questions For You

Do you think you told people you were pregnant a little too early?
I am telling people where I am about 8 weeks, having 2 good scans, and good blood work.  Also, I didn't want to go through this pregnancy alone like I did the last one, where I lost the baby.  I lost the baby and then it like was like, "Oh, I have almost no one to talk to this about" because we didn't tell anybody we were pregnant.  I also like to know that people have been praying for us.  The power of prayer is great.

Am I still nervous and cautious about this pregnancy?  
Of course! But , until the baby comes I will just have to put this in the Lord's hands and be content no matter what His decision because He will make the decision for His glory..

What pregnancy test did I use and when did I test?
It was AccuClear from Target.  I personally like to go with the tests that have the plus sign if you are pregnant because it will be lighter or darker with how much HCG is in your urine.  Now these tests are qualitative not quantitative so I know all it does it tell you if there is HCG present or not but when I took the first test it was very faint, but when I took the second test the following day it was much darker, so even though people are controversial about how much dye is in the test making it lighter or darker, every time I've tested a second time, its always been darker. I tested after I thought I was two days late.

The Reveal: Part 1

(Written August 23, 2011)

Can you blame me for not writing?  I have A LOT going on right now. Plus I've been feeling absolutely miserable. Timm and I are trying to buy a house right now and I am 5 weeks 1 day pregnant with my fourth pregnancy and have yet to have an ultrasound. I did have my HCG levels tested once and they did double from the 19th to the 21st.  Hopefully it stays doubling.  I opted not to get a second test because I knew I'd freak myself out again.  I'll wait until the ultrasound, that will give me a much clearer picture of what is going on right now. This pregnancy has been scary from the start.  I had incredible, horrible cramping and back pain since very early on, probably about one week after I ovulated.  Although I just had a miscarriage two short months ago, I am having many more symptoms than last time including being tired all the time. If this pregnancy continues to go well, I'll give an update on each week that goes by.  I even contemplated starting up my own YouTube channel, but that's probably not going to happen, we'll see.  But for now this is what I've been feeling...

Week 3/4 - These weeks I was just finding out I was pregnant.  I have been having tons and tons of period type cramping this week, especially in my lower back and groin.  I have also been experiencing a sensation of being out of breath and occasional fatigue.  A couple things that tipped me off to take a test were I had been getting car sick, which I haven't for the past year and twice in one week I felt sick.  I also have been feeling hungry in the middle of the night, craving tons of cheese, and peeing more.  Other symptoms, some of which also tipped me off, included, slight uterine burning, restless legs at night, heartburn one night, and oops excuse me excess gas.

    

Week 5 - This week included more cramping in the groin and lower back.  I wish that would go away.  My hunger and fatigue have been increasing exponentially.  Some days its hard to keep my eyes open at all. One reassuring sign I felt included that burning feeling in my uterus again along with stretching in my lower abdomen.  I also had pain in my left ovary area, corpus luteum cyst maybe? I haven't felt nauseous at all, is it too early for that? 

This picture was taken at 5 weeks & 4 days gestation.

(Continued September 6, 2011)

Week 6 - Bring on the morning sickness!  Starting at exactly 6.3 weeks I haven't stopped being nauseous. The morning sickness has ruined my appetite and it always makes me feel like I'm full up to my neck. I've still continued to be tired, just not as severely as before and I am still getting terrible back pain and groin cramping, its hurts kinda bad. I suppose its from the hormones loosening things up.  Plus I hear with the second baby you are more prone to backache and more noticable symptoms.

Week 7 - MORNING SICKNESS! Horrible yet reassuring morning sickness. Once again, I have no appetite and want to puke all day long. It's lovely really but also such a good sign. I am actually very thankful for it even though its hard to deal with this while taking care of a nearly 15 month old...

Back & Groin Pain Explanation?

Today I went to check my messages and saw that I have one missed call from the doctor's office.  The voice mail went like this "Hi Jennifer, this is so 'n' so from Dr. J's office, would you give us a call about some results?"  That's a message that would freak out any pregnant woman. Needless to say I was nervous to call back.  What could it possibly be I wondered? So of course I call right back and I get the person I needed to talk to on the phone right  away and the results were that I had a silent Urinary Tract Infection. PHEW! No biggie.  So of course now I am on medication for that.
     Well, one interested bit of information I just found out was that back pain and cramping can be caused by Urinary Tract Infections. Another PHEW! That's what I've been experiencing for the past three weeks! Also, for being pregnant I haven't been going to the bathroom all that much, but then again I read UTIs cause urine not to get to the bladder as efficiently so there we have it.  Also, if you didn't know UTIs are extremely common in pregnant women.  Thankfully, God has given me wisdom through my doctor's and has graciously calmed my heart.

Week 7 cont'd - ...One disconcerting symptom, or lack there of, is that my tiredness has seemed to go away completely and be replaced with a hyperactive mind.  To be honest I think the lack of tiredness is from the medication because it started the very day I started the treatment.  I was reading that Amoxicillin can lead to insomnia/troubles falling asleep.  So hopefully that is what has been causing me to not fall asleep until 11/12am each night. Any thoughts?

So now just three more days until the ultrasound...

Last Post..until after the baby arrives/Well, the baby arrived =)

(written early June)

I know it seems to be early to be having a last post at only 35 weeks pregnant, but then again, is it just ONLY 35 weeks? To me, this is a big feat and I am so happy to have made it this far with the little guy moving like crazy inside me. I know that technically I will be full term in less than two weeks, but I would like for him to stay in there until his lungs, as well as everything else, are fully developed and ready for the outside world. Another reason why I am going to put the posts on hold are because well frankly I am getting very tired, I have a ton of stuff to do before the baby gets here, including another shower this weekend (which I am very much looking forward to! =) I feel overwhelmed by the amount that I have to get done and things that I need to get so I would like to focus all my time and energy to those things. There will most certainly be an update post baby's arrival though, don't you worry.

SO, to update, I did already have one amazing shower on May 15th. I can't believe that was already almost a month ago! Well even though not everyone could make it, I am very thankful for those that could share that time with me. Showers are something that, as the guest of honor, you should be very thankful for because people take the time out of their busy lives to watch you open a bunch of gifts! On the other hand, showers are one of the really important and meaningful parts in a person's life who has something to celebrate, and how sad would it be to celebrate alone? To all those people who are invited to showers, try to make them, they mean a lot to recipient even if you are bored out of your mind, and guests of honor, be VERY thankful for and to those who come, and definitely make sure you get those thank you letters out in a timely fashion.

(written June 26/27, 2010)

It is now 6 days since Judah has been born and I cannot begin to explain the degree that my life has changed. The Lord is so gracious and has blessed me with a wonderful husband who is extremely supportive and helpful. I have also been blessed with an extremely caring church family, in law family and with a dad who would and did drop everything to be by my side. To all of them I am extremely grateful. The Lord cares so much and I know I don't express His impact on my life enough, but know I credit Him with all things good.

As for me I am in recovery for the next 5-6 weeks because I had a C-section. Now I was initially disappointed and nervous when I heard I needed one but I knew that the Lord allowed it and I knew I needed to accept my condition because I knew it would work toward His goodness and glory. I now have accepted it and would do it over and over again because the outcome outweighed every fear and bit of sadness I felt. I just want everyone to know that I don't want anyone feeling bad for me because I didn't deliver the traditional way and probably never will because truly I am so happy and in all honesty so in love with my baby.

Physically I am in pain, I have a lot of restrictions, and find it difficult to walk, stand, climb stairs, and adjust myself in bed. I find lying on my back most comfortable but without help its very hard to get out of bed. Chores are definitely on hold for a while, which, for a neat freak like me kinda drives me crazy.

My stay at the hospital was pretty awesome. Even the food was really good too. I had a lot of wonderful nurses and felt very well taken care of. One of the nurses came in just to say hi and see how I was even though I wasn't scheduled as her patient that night. One scary thing that happened while in the hospital was I almost passed out in the shower and had to pull the emergency cord. I got assistance right away though so that was good. Also, I want to thank ALL of my visitors. It means so much when people take time out of their lives for you.

As for my baby Judah, I am in love. He makes Timm and me cry tears of happiness everyday. He really is an excellent baby and only cries when he needs a diaper, is hungry, is uncomfortable, or just wants to be snuggled. He eats often and goes to the bathroom even more, I think we had 17 dirty diapers today. He is also an extremely strong baby and actually rolled himself over once. I love him so much.

If you'd like to pray for us we could use prayer in the following areas: Judah's early salvation, health for him including his jaundice clearing up and his physical anatomy being complete so we can avoid surgery, a swift recovery for me (I have been particularly sore near my incision site lately), and that Timm and I can get some sleep and be good parents in the eyes of the Lord.

If you'd like to help out food is always good, an encouraging word or prayer is always appreciated, and to give Timm a break a quick trip to the store is helpful. We also are in need of nursing bras/under clothes and a sleepsack for Judah.

Well that's it for now. Timm is napping, Judah's about to eat and I am trying to get the diaper bag ready for our first doctor's appt. Thanks for taking the time to read.

updates and dreams

(written mid April 2010, finished in mid May)

"Leg cramps, short of breath, gotta pee, wow he's kicking so hard, restless legs, 'timm will you pick that up?' oh my goodness my tailbone is killing me, I am SO hungry!" Those are just a few of the new/common things you could catch me saying now and within the past 3 weeks.

So a few new things have come up recently: I now go to my doctor's appointments every 2 weeks, I started birthing classes, actually felt hiccups for the first time, and scored over 100 items of baby clothes for only $65.

I love going to the doctor's every 2 weeks now because I constantly have questions and this way my curiosity and concerns can be satiated a bit more frequently, but personally I would prefer to go every week throughout the whole pregnancy and have my personal doctor on tap on the phone at any hour! But since I don't have that available to me I need to just trust the Lord that everything is okay according to His plan no matter what and just trust it.

As for the birthing classes there are 8 other couples in the class all ranging from the closest due date of June 16, 2010 to the farthest due date of July 31, 2010. I am pretty much right in the middle of that. The first day of class is always a little awkward and she made everyone go around the room and introduce themselves and talk a little bit about the baby and any concerns they had. I hate having the spotlight on me unless I want it to be there so I was a little nervous when it came to my turn and I completely forgot to introduce Timm. It made everyone at the class chuckle. So far the classes are going well, mainly a sit and listen and be informed type of deal with a lot of interesting yet informative videos thrown into the mix. Occasionally we will get up and practice different techniques but mainly we learn. Next time we have class though we get to visit the labor and delivery area of the hospital, which I am excited about because I am hoping to see some new born babies in the nursery, if they have that type of open set up. Also it'll be nice to just familiarize myself with the place I will be delivering so that I am not totally confused and more out of sorts than need be on that special day that I go into labor.

Next up were those hiccups I felt for the first time, which by now I feel almost everyday. They are so cute because I know exactly what is going on when I feel those intermittent little tiny thuds on the very bottom of my belly. Judah having the hiccups also let's me know that he is in a head down position, which is good to know because I really would like to not have a C-section, but like I said to everyone else I just want to do what is safest for the baby and myself.

Last on the updated list above was Timm and I scoring all those baby clothes for an awesome price. We actually were only going to pay $50 but the people who gave us the clothes were so incredibly nice and welcoming (especially since we were total strangers off craigslist!) that we gave them $15 more than their asking price. I just finished putting all of the clothes away into our new dresser and 4 out of the 5 drawers are filled. Particularly we got a lot of sleep 'n' plays for the 3-6 month range so I hope he's sleeping and playing a lot in those months =).

(written May 10, 2010)

So 8.6 weeks left til my due date, which is certainly an estimation but I do hope that it goes to the full 40 weeks. I am now feeling Judah all the time with very vigorous movements. Earlier today my belly was literally at a total slant because he was pushed out on one side. I tried to take a picture but he always changes positions quickly.

So when you are pregnant you are prone to having strange and vivid dreams, usually the subconscious's way of dealing with any underlying emotions, fears, or any other feelings. I'm not quite sure what they mean but they are interesting just the same. I wanted to share some of the most ridiculous dreams I have been having lately though, two in particular.

First dream: I am not only having one kid but two! But here's the kicker I look down at my belly and there is only one child, so where is the other one you ask? Its in my other body! I have two bodies in this dream with one child in each. I am not sure of the gender of one of the babies but definitely one was a boy. I also could see the babies sticking out of my stomachs in a way I could see their features pretty clearly, which also let me know that they were both in breech positions. I was so upset because I knew I was going to have to have two C-sections, one for each body, but then I thought to myself I guess its not too bad because its only one C-section per body (because in the real world having multiple C-sections can limit you in the number of children you have, probably one of my underlying fears). So to continue, just before I go into one of the hospital rooms to meet with my doctor I am passing by my other body and waving to my other kid who has a full head of hair and is already smiling and waving so I waved hi and made silly faces at them. The weird thing about that kid was that his eyes were huge, like almost anime eyes and he somewhat resembled Elijah Wood. The dream pretty much ends there. So that was dream number one.

Second dream: I had this one just today when I was having my nap. I'm not sure if this was a nesting type dream or what but I was cleaning out my fridge and purging it of all old foods. Mainly the food that I threw away were these once delicious looking slices of cake wrapped in plastic baggies. As I was throwing out each piece I would remember and reminisce in my mind for a moment about each party that I had gotten them at and would remember how delicious each piece was when I originally ate it. None of the pieces had mold on them or anything but just were past that stage of being worth it to eat. I think possibly this dream could have had to do with the fact I am trying to be cautious of what I eat while I am pregnant and also fear of gaining too much weight since I have already gained well over 30 lbs! I know I don't look it but the scale doesn't lie.

So not much to update on symptom wise except my back pain is horrendous in my tail bone and I am just feeling somewhat more uncomfortable as the days go on, especially in bed where I am constantly tossing from one side to the next. In other news, I know that my one of my showers is coming up soon so I am really excited about that and I will be updating on that once that gets here. Its amazing to think how far I have come with this pregnancy even though I still have 2 more months from tomorrow. I am really going to try to enjoy the rest of it because I know that time will go by so fast and I don't want to rush anything.

26.5 weeks....13.2 to go

Okay so its only been a little more than 2 1/2 weeks that I've written but seriously my belly has recently gone through a big growth spurt. Judah should officially be about 2 pounds and have his eyes open by now if not opening in the very near future.

I was just rereading my previous blogs and read that my belly was "manageable" and that I could "still bend over", well that has certainly changed in recent weeks. Now, I notice that while I am walking at work or going up my stairs at home I get winded pretty fast. I also am getting the most annoying leg cramps, so much so that the other day when I woke up I seriously could not walk, a little scary if you ask me. I also have been having vision changes and get dizzy a lot easier than before. Vision changes include seeing stars whenever I stand up or change positions. For example, I had called the doctor's office about my vision changes, as well as other things, and they told me to come in to get it checked out because it potentially could be a blood pressure issue. I got my blood pressure checked, it came out great, but when I was in my examination room I had to lie down to check the baby's heart beat and almost immediately I started seeing "stars". This has been happening for the past week almost everyday. So I'm not sure if I'm dehydrated, moving too fast, or stressed, because I have gone through a lot of stress recently. Whatever it is I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

The only other significant change in the past 2 1/2 weeks is the best one and that is that Judah's movements are getting much stronger and I can feel him from pretty much from morning til night. His movements earlier on in the pregnancy were not as strong and noticeable from the outside, but certainly are now, and weren't nearly as frequent. I like to call his movements "drum solos" because sometimes he moves around so much at one time in my belly it feels like he's using me as a drum set. I am getting really excited for his arrival and a little nervous too, but I think that's normal. Timm and I are going to be starting our birthing classes in 20 days, which go on for a total of 5 weeks, although we skip a week in between. So by the time I'm done with birthing classes and my breastfeeding class I will be 35 1/2 weeks pregnant, so pretty much getting pretty close. I have 1 week and 2 days til I would consider myself to officially be in the 3rd trimester. I am approaching the 7 month mark quickly and couldn't be happier. This is truly the biggest blessing in my life ever, next to marrying my wonderful husband!

21.5 Weeks and counting

(March 5, 2010)

Wow, almost 22 weeks. Seems like so much time has gone by, yet there's still so much time ahead of me! One thing is for sure is that once you reach that 20 week mark you usually have less than 20 weeks left and I am sure that the last month will fly by with all the doctor's appointments and setting up there is to be done. For those who are wondering how far 22 weeks is, its about 5 1/2 months, which on a 9 month scale would leave me with 3 1/2 months left...wrong! If you look at the calendar of my due date July 11, 2010 its more like having 4 months and 1 week left, so its all a bit confusing. If you do go by the 40 week calendar and count a month at every 4 weeks, then you're technically pregnant for 10 months, throwing that 9 month rule thing out the window. I personally prefer to go by the 10 month scale simply because it makes it feel like time is going by faster. Faster for me to see my baby, which by the way, I found out the sex! ITS A BOY! And yes we do have a name, a good strong one too, its Judah Isaac!

(March 23, 2010)

Okay, I just had my 6 month appointment! Everything is right on target, my belly was measured at 24 cm and I'm 24 weeks =) So I am so happy everything is going to a T, but I am so ready to just have my baby! I know I am going to grow a lot more too, but its all worth it. I am looking so forward to meeting him, learning his personality, and sharing the love that I have had saved for him before I ever knew I would have him grow inside me.

Truly the second trimester is definitely the "honeymoon period" of pregnancy. I have felt so good that I forget sometimes that I am pregnant! My belly is very manageable and I can still bend over and get around with ease. Although, sometimes if I'm sitting in a chair for a long time my legs will get tired and it'll be hard to stand up but that's it. The only other challenges I felt physically lately is nausea is rearing its ugly head again on and off, but mainly off thank goodness. The doctor said that is totally normal and can happen with all the changing hormones. I would say that one thing that is surprising me lately is how much weight I am gaining. I am gaining weight daily it seems, since prepregnancy I have gained over 20 lbs! I personally know that I don't look it but I still have 3 months or so to gain more weight and that's the time that I'd gain the most, so I'm a little afraid of just how much weight I'll have to lose post pregnancy, but like I said, its all worth it!

I have to say this, another part of being in the latter half of the second trimester is that I am getting a lot of belly stares, and its not like I can really hide my belly anymore but please for my sake and for other pregnant women's sake, please do not treat it like an object! I get tons of comments all the time at work about how my belly looks rather than asking me about what's inside it. I know that when someone is pregnant it can be fascinating to a lot of people but please be sensitive and remember that we pregnant ladies can feel fat, tired, moody, sometimes not that pretty, large, stretched out, uncomfortable, in pain, and protective just to name a few. So say a kind word about how good we look, if you really mean it, and maybe some words of encouragement to get us through the day cause some days are harder than others especially when you have never successfully had a baby before. Also we know we look big so there is no need to remind us of how enormous we will be getting once we're closer and closer to our due dates. Point is, be mindful of what you say cause we aren't objects =)

Lastly, you may be wondering, am I nervous to go through delivery? Do I think, will I be a good parent? How will we make it financially? I just have one answer for all of this and for anyone else who may be in a similar situation and that is that the Lord has forseen this and allowed this and because of that He will provide in every way that we need. Psalm 37:25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Now this doesn't mean that I dont' struggle with this or that I or anyone else can just coast through life saying "well I'm a Christian, I'm set for life, the Lord won't allow me to suffer too bad", it means that you must truly have faith that He will provide and obey His commands.

Also remember:

Matthew 6:25-34 ...Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? WHO OF YOU BY WORRYING CAN ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO HIS LIFE? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ...If that is how GOD clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown in to the fire, will HE not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. each day has enough trouble of its own.