36 week appt

Had my 36 week appt yesterday. Can't believe I am "full term!" I think I have another 5 weeks before Luke makes his appearance though, lol. He just seems so darn content in there.

Had Dr Meinig again. He was great. Maybe it was a fluke that he was such a jerk the first time. Had my GBS test but declined the cervical exam. Dr Meinig signed my updated birth plan and put it in my file.

The baby has been pretty sluggish the past 2 days. It is a stark contrast to 3 days ago when I swore he was about to kick and punch his way out the side of my belly! I asked the Dr about it and he said if I am ever concerned to do a kick count (10 movements in an hour at least). He took his heartrate and it was higher than usual--in the 160s so he must be somewhat active in there. Plus he kicked the Dr as he was measuring me. :) His back is more in the middle now with his feet facing in, so maybe that is why I am not feeling much. He switches positions several times a day though.

Luke is measuring right on track. I gained 2lbs last week--oops! haha. I am up 22lbs. I am starving all day long but food tastes so off to me all of a sudden. Went out to eat last night and everything tasted terrible---either too sour or too salty! I have been drinking lots of red raspberry leaf tea and taking prenatals along with vit C and iron. I am starting my evening primrose oil today. The Dr said it was all harmless but he feels it would not make a difference. Oh well, I will take it just in case. :)

I am feeling better. I have more energy than I did a week ago and my back and pelvis feel pretty good. I am in no hurry to get this baby out even though I am dying to meet him. I have a lot more nesting to do, haha.

Oh and to top off my good appt, someone in the elevator told me I looked like Jennifer Garner! I was positively giddy. Nothing like hearing you look like a cute celebrity when you are feeling bloated and yucky, haha. This is the 3rd time I have heard that during this pregnancy. I have never heard that I looked like her before this pregnancy. So anyway, that made me feel pretty cheery.

All in all, I am doing well! I am able to go shopping and take Nathan places and be pretty much normal. I can't believe I can say that after 5 weeks of so much pain and exhaustion.

33.5 weeks

Today is my 26th birthday! All is well. Mike woke up early to make breakfast while I snuggled in bed with Nathan. He made turkey bacon, croissants, and fresh pineapple (only set off the smoke alarm 3 times making bacon. Nathan heard it and shouted "BACON!"). I did spy an ice cream cake in the freezer but haven't peeked at it yet, lol. Hope it doesn't have pumpkins on it. For some reason Baskin Robbins puts pumpkins on all of their cakes in October. I told Mike he had to order a pumpkinless one (hehe, I am a pain I know) Mike is coming home for lunch to help out with the kids.

The kids are being good and I am just relaxing in the big chair in the playroom with my laptop, magazines, and a phone, lol. I did just order a $47 nursing bra with my bday money (ouch! But I really needed/wanted it!)

Nathan turned 2 five days ago. Can't believe my little one is so big! I remember 2 years ago on my birthday being my first day home with my newborn. It was such a special day.

My little 2 year old is getting so smart! He can count to 18 when he walks up the stairs (counting steps). He is starting to recognize letters and numbers. He is talking up a storm! He is obsessed with Thomas the train little wooden trains now. He carries them around everywhere and calls them by name. He even gives them little personalities! (Thomas is naughty and always hides places he is not supposed to, like Nathan's yogurt cup. Then Nathan says "OHHHHH BOM!")

Luke is being a good little belly baby as always. He is still constantly hiccuping in there. I hope it isn't annoying for him. He is getting so big, I can tell. I can see his little limbs and body parts sticking through my skin. He flops back and forth a lot in there. He is constantly on the move.

I am working on my birth plan and thinking of every detail of birth/delivery. It is nervewracking but I want to be prepared!

Dr appt (33 weeks)

I had my 33 week (well almost) appt with Dr. Hodges today. He really is a wonderful Dr. and made me feel so comfortable. I spoke to him about my labor anxiety and he was so reassuring. He told me they had a 70% success rate with VBACs (meaning they end in Csection 30% of the time) and that he is very "pro-VBAC" and confident doing them. He said that ruptures are very rare and that you can catch the warning signs before something catastrophic happens (my number one fear). He told me to stay off the internet if it was scaring me because most of the data you read is skewed anyway. He really made me feel comfortable and confident that nothing bad would happen. He also was on the same page as me that he would not recommend induction. I plan on scheduling my last few appts (like 38-39 weeks) with him for sure because I don't feel that he would be pressuring me.

Luke is doing great---he is in the back to the left, head down position. His head is not down in the pelvis yet, he is kind of floating. He has been very active lately and gets the hiccups 4-5 times a day. I am measuring right on track and my back is feeling much better.

31 week update

I had a hard week. Last Thursday, I spent several hours in the labor and delivery ward at Fairfax hospital. I was having excruciating back pain and contractions. I went in and got monitored for a few hours and I was having contractions, but it was not changing my cervix (thank heavens). The back pain is caused by some sort of loosening of a pelvic joint (sylliac or something like that???). It felt like I was being stabbed repeatedly in the lower back. Anyway I have been taking Tylenol (which does nothing) and soaking in the tub and applying the heat pack. I have not been able to sleep or eat all night because of the pain. Luke is a lot like Nathan and when I have contractions, he fights them like crazy. He punched and kicked and freaked out with each one and I had deja vu from my first labor.

Anyway, I have spent a few days in bed. I was put on 48 hours of bed rest and have to go see the Dr early next week. She may want to start physical therapy. Mike has been taking such good care of Nathan. It is hard to sit back and let others do everything for me. We missed our anniversary dinner on Saturday, so hopefully we will be able to reschedule it for this week. I have been feeling a lot better now that I have rested for a few days.

I met with one of my doulas, Margaret, today. She is very nice and made me feel so comfortable. We talked for a few hours and worked through some of the labor/delivery details. I am feeling less anxious about everything.

Luke is still being the best baby I could ask for. He is so content to just hang out all day long. He squirms and bounces, but never causes any trouble. I love him so much already. :)

Ultrasound this morning

I had my 28 week ultrasound this morning to check on my placenta. It has moved up--WOOWOOWOO! Luke is head down and ready to go. So I will be able to go ahead and try for a VBAC. :)

Luke is 3lbs and measuring big (about a week early). He is so darn cute already! DEFINITELY still a boy. I am a little concerned about his profile though, lol. He seems to have my dad's nose---it is pretty prominent on his little profile (sorry, Dad, haha). But he has Nathan's cute bow-shaped pouty lips and big cheeks. He has huge feet and his 2nd toe is longer than his big one! haha. He already has a ton of sticking up hair. He had his feet in his mouth and I remarked "poor guy is so squished he has to have his feet by his face!" and the tech said "Nope, he is doing that by choice", lol.

His bladder was full and his lungs were practicing breathing so we know his little organs are working well. He kept opening and closing his eyes. He had a little round tummy I just wanted to kiss! His little bum is shoved up under my ribs and his head and his feet are down low. I was shocked to see how big he was in there! Hard to believe he has another 4-5lbs to gain!

We were supposed to head to NC after the appt but Tropical Storm Ernesto is messing with our plans. So who knows when we will be able to get on the road.

Third trimester!!!

I finally got my hospital records from Nathan's birth today. Interesting stuff! Lists my reason for C-section as failed induction but doesn't list the reason for induction (could be there, but in Dr. speak though). Weird thing is that it doesn't say I was given general anesthesia during my Csection but I am 99% sure I was. All I know was that I was in horrible pain and the Dr put something in the IV in my arm and then I fell asleep. Mike remembers it the same way.

Anyway my incision was low tranverse so my VBAC attempt is good to go! :)

I had my prenatal appt and glucose test. That fruit punch drink is Nasty with a capital N. I kept gagging on it because it was so syrupy and sweet. I don't remember it being so bad with Nathan. About 30 min after I drank it, I got shaky and nauseous. Hope that doesn't mean I was having a bad reaction. My Dr appt was good. He didn't care that I was gaining super fast because I am still only up 12 lbs and 2/3 of the way through. Can't believe I am in the third trimester!!! Luke is head down and measuring right on track. I had a dream he was born by Csection on November 28th (I am due the 23rd) after trying a VBAC. He was 8lbs 4 oz in my dream. So if I have to go with my gut, that is what I think will happen. I guessed Nathan would be born the 4th or the 5th by Csection early in my pregnancy with him (he was due the 12th and was born the 5th).

****update: I found in my records what I was given during my c-section---Dilaudil which is a form of heroin! No wonder I was so out of it. Oh and my reason for induction was high blood pressure but my BP was listed as 120/68 which is not high! Odd.

27 weeks

Almost third trimester! One more week! Hard to believe.

I am definitely starting to feel like I am in the third trimester. Here are some things going on with my pregnancy at this point: :)
*I must SCRUB! I am nesting like a madwoman and every little dirt mark and stain is making me crazy. I am like a stain hunter with my bottle of oxyclean and my rag, haha. Walls, carpets, tables--nothing is safe! :)
*I cannot stop eating. I swear I am so incredibly hungry all day long. For example just lunch yesterday was a turkey sandwich, grapes, an orange, yogurt, pretzels, and a few spoons of leftover broccoli. Luckily I am able to make good food choices (this baby loves fruit, yogurt, salad, etc) or else I'd be 300lbs by now. I have been gaining about 2lbs a week for the past month though--yikes! But I am currently only up 8lbs so even if I continue gaining at this rate, I will still be at the normal weight gain range.
*I am tired! Out of no where I just became so exhausted and sluggish all day long (when I am not scrubbing or eating, haha).
*I hate pants! I swear waistbands are driving me nuts. I want to buy a few huge mumus to just hang out in. That would be attractive wouldn't it? :)
*I love my sons! Nathan is so sweet talking about his baby brother. He gives my belly big hugs and raspberries. He fell asleep last night using my belly as a pillow. Luke is such a good little belly baby! He moves around all day and lets me know he is OK, but he rarely ever kicks in a way that it hurts! I am a bit worried when he comes out he will never sleep though, haha. I swear he is never still. His favorite thing is to put his feet against my right side and push with all his might. It feels so odd and makes a huge lump on my right side, haha.

26 week appt

I had a pretty good appt today. I only got to see a nurse, but that is OK because she spent a lot of time with me answering questions and seemed pretty knowledgable.

I gained 6lbs last month. The nurse started to give me a hard time and told me to make sure I only gain .5-1 lb a week. I asked her to look over my weight gain from the entire pregnancy and tell me if I was doing OK. Since this is the first month I have gained anything, she said I am fine and am just doing a bit of catch up. So as of now, I am plus 6 lbs.

Told her about the low pressure I have been feeling lately and she said it could be caused by my low placenta. Still hoping that thing moves up and out of the way so I can try for my VBAC.

Baby is measuring perfectly and heartrate is strong. He kept kicking her when she would try to measure me and it was making her laugh.

I go back in 2 weeks for my GD test and have an u/s on Sept 1st to check on the placenta.

Luke never ever sits still. He really squirms all day long. Wonder if he will have a hard time getting comfortable after he is born. I am counting my blessings though because his kicks are so light in comparison to Nathan's. Nathan's hurt so bad! Luke is just squirmy, haha.

summer vacation

We just got back from our summer vacation to Ocean City, MD. We had so much fun! Here are some memories I don't want to forget from our vacation together:
*how Nathan loved playing with his trucks in the sand and asking me to make him roads and "slides"
*how much Nathan loved the yummy beach food like fried shrimp and virgin pina coladas
*when Luke kicked the remote off of my belly for the first time in the hotel
*Nathan snuggling me so sweetly while falling asleep
*Nathan running circles around my beach chair, yelling like a wild man
*how Nathan would bring me the sunblock stick and tell me "cheeks" when he wanted me to put some on him
*Nathan begging "beach beach beach" as soon as he'd wake up in the morning
*Luke dancing wildly to reggae music at dinner
*how relaxed and happy Nathan was when his daddy held him in the ocean
*when Nathan fell splat right on top of a sunbathing teenage girl decked out in big hoop earrings, blaring IPOD, and a full face of makeup
*Nathan's first kiss with our friend Angel's daughter Ava...on the boardwalk, how romantic! haha
*Swimming at night in the indoor pool

It was a great time! It was over way too soon.

21 week update

This has been an exciting week! Mike just started being able to feel Luke kick. This baby doesn't seem to kick a whole lot though, but he squirms nonstop so it is a bit harder to find a good time for Mike to feel him.

Started getting a few aches and pains. My wrists and hands go numb at night (darn carpal tunnel) and I have been having some hip and lower back pain. Nothing horrible though.

I am going swimming tomorrow. I just love floating around in the pool when I am pregnant. The one time I can feel light, haha.

Going through the old baby clothes is really fun. I can't imagine having a baby that small again! I just love looking at the cute tiny outfits and imagining my new little boy in them.

I have gained 2lbs this week alone. Still negative 3 lbs from when I started though. Seems like I am finally catching up! I feel like I eat nonstop. Still tons of spicy food and fruit.

Nathan is doing well and talking a lot more. He is saying silly things like "ketchup" and insisting that Mike and I do everything with him together "Mama Dada Mama Dada!"

Nathan update

Can't forget to update about my little Nathan. He was 21 months yesterday. Here are some new things that are going on with him:
*holding up his little biceps and flexxing so forcefully his little face shakes when I ask him to "show me your guns!"
*pretending to lift weights and making the same hisses and grunts that his daddy makes
*How dogs say "dog dog dog" and birds go "caw caw caw" like a crow instead of a sweet "tweet tweet"
*how much he loves playing with the hose and watering the flowers and "washing" his trucks
*his new obsession with his baby Einstein "On the Go" video with trains, trucks, boats, and planes
*how much he loved the fireworks and oohed and wowed and yayed at every boom
*how he gets out one shoe and places it in front of you as a hint he wants to leave the house
*his "OH MAN!!!!!" whenever something silly happens
*how soft his phone voice is....he says "hi" so quietly when I ask him to talk on the phone to someone

He really is the sweetest little guy. I know he is going to make a great big brother.

20 weeks!

I can't believe I am halfway through this pregnancy. It is going by so very fast. I am feeling great! Honestly besides the few weeks of all day "morning" sickness, I have felt wonderful. Little Luke is seemingly a pretty laid back guy. I feel him squirming in there but rarely does he give me big kicks. I only really get kicked when I pee. I think when I empty my bladder, he loses the comfy bean bag chair he was sitting in (like he was during his u/s). I pretty much am able to eat whatever I want without too much trouble. I do get cravings for Mexican and lemon flavored things a lot. I did tell off some teenagers working at the frozen custard place because they didn't have the lemon italian ices made--oops! I am still down 6 lbs but am eating well. Lots of salads with tons of red onion and fruit. I have had fun shopping for a few little baby things, but really we have so much already! All of Bradley and Nathan's baby clothes---all fall baby boys! Nathan got a new bedroom set (cargo bed and dresser) so all of his baby stuff can be handed down his baby brother. It is so exciting to set up the nursery again!

Ultrasound update

I just got back from my ultrasound! It was a good appt. The tech was very thorough and showed us every little detail. There was a large tv screen so we could see everything without craning our necks behind us like we did with Nathan. The baby is completely healthy! We got a great view of the heart, spine, brain, etc. The baby is measuring right on target (9 oz) and had a heartrate of 147. The tech kept trying to see between the legs but the baby was sitting indian style with his/her legs pulled in tight. What a stinker! Then the tech left and we waited about 15 min for the Dr. We were so ecstatic that the baby is healthy but just a smidge bummed we could not tell the sex. Then the Dr came in and did a few more shots of the placenta and such. The placenta is very low we need to come back a few more times to make sure it doesn't cover the cervix at any time. If it does, I can not have a vaginal birth. Then the Dr did a quick once over of the baby one last time and lo and behold my child opened its legs wide open at the very last minute. What did we see???? (scroll down)








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BOY PARTS! Yup! We were right, haha. Baby 2 is definitely a boy. His name will be Luke David. We rewarded his good behavior with a huge Mexican buffet for lunch. :) We are going to go shopping to get him a few little boy things later on today and then are going out for lobster to celebrate. Yay for Baby Luke! I am so excited to have two little boys close in age. I am one happy, lucky mommy.

18 weeks today

I have started to feel real movements! I swear this baby is doing somersaults in there. I feel this rolling pressure back and forth like he/she is pushing off the sides of my stomach doing laps. :)

Only a few more days until my ultrasound. I will come right out and say it. I think I am having a boy. I will literally be shocked if little baby is a girl. Everyone else seems to think so though, so we'll see! After the u/s, we are going to go out for lobster and then go buy baby 2 an outfit. Gosh, I hope he/she is cooperative and shows his/her goods so I can stop with this "he/she" stuff!

My tummy is smaller than it was with Nathan. I am obviously pregnant looking, but I don't have the big basketball look going on. I am flatter all over my tummy. I still am having trouble gaining weight even though I am eating nonstop.

That's my update!

3rd appt

I just got back from a prenatal appt. It was pretty good. I didn't get to see my normal Dr but that is OK. Got to hear the heartbeat which is always reassuring. The heartrate was 141, but the funny thing is how the baby was kicking and moving around like crazy. I kept hearing "THUMP WHOOOOSH THUMP WHOOOOOSH!" It was a flashback from my pregnancy with Nathan. He would do the same thing.

I declined my triple screen after talking to the Dr. He advised that the u/s would pick up any major defects and if I would decline an amnio anyway, there is no point. I did have blood drawn though because my thyroid was elevated from my last blood test and they wanted to recheck it.

I talked to him about how much I did not want to go to the larger hospital and he said there was about a 5% chance---if I go into labor at night when only one Dr is on call and another woman goes into labor right before me and opts to go to the large one. That is the only time I'd have to go, which is good.

We spoke about VBACs and honestly I think the Dr was trying to scare me. He kept telling me if I ruptured I could bleed to death in 5 minutes and stuff like that. He had looked at my chart and assumed I was going for a repeat C section because of my prior birth. My other Dr is a lot more supportive.

So now I have my doula urging me to labor at home as long as possible and my Doctor telling me to come to the hospital at the first sign of labor. I am thinking I will go in when my contractions get painful. I have a lot to think about.

Overall, a good appt. I am so looking forward to my u/s on Monday. Oh and we decided on complete names: Luke David or Rebecca Mary. So excited!

17 week update

I am now 17 weeks along and everything is going great. This has been a very smooth pregnancy (besides the morning sickness at the beginning). My only complaint is all the stomach aches I have been getting, especially after I eat. But all in all, I am feeling very good. This baby is very laid back and I can pretty much eat whatever I want besides sweets. I had the same aversion with Nathan though. This baby really likes "real" home cooking like meatloaf, chicken, veggies, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc. I am also craving various things dipped in hot sauce, and other dips such as queso and guacamole. This baby has diverse tastes (as long as it is not sweet!).

My ultrasound is in 10 days. I am so very excited!!! I hope this baby cooperates and I can tell boy or girl. I have some shopping to do if my little one is a girl. :) I have been doing a lot of research on carseats and such. I will start buying things soon so I don't have a lot of expenses at the end.

I am feeling baby 2 move more at night. He/she seems to like to be awake and active after 8pm. I can't wait to feel those real kicks soon!

Nathan is doing well. He is such a sweetheart. He is eating us out of house and home and I love it. He is so thoughtful and smart. I can't believe I am going to have two babies soon! If baby 2 is anything like his/her brother, I am a lucky mommy.

Why hello, baby!

I think I think I think I am feeling the baby move! I am almost 16 weeks. I feel little thumps and pokes very late at night when all is quiet and I can concentrate. I also feel little movements when Nathan is laying on my lap leaning against my belly a bit (don't worry he isn't hurting me, haha). I am so excited! I can't wait to start feeling this baby more and more.

2nd appt

I had my 2nd prenatal appt today. Just the usual urine and blood tests. I had a pap smear and exam. I got to hear the heartbeat. Baby 2 is quite cooperative, lol. It was so hard to hear the heartbeat and the baby moved up so we could all hear clearly. :) Heartrate 154. The Dr was not concerned about my weight loss. He said the baby was growing perfectly and was right on schedule. I scheduled my next appt for June 23rd and my ultrasound for June 26th at 9:15am. Woohoo! I can hardly wait.

General update

Things are going pretty darn good. I am feeling generally OK, although I have been getting killer stomachaches at night. In turn, I am not sleeping well. I am eating well but still not gaining weight. I have been craving spicy and sour things: hot sauce, lemon popsicles, jalepenos. I get odd cravings where I need something right away but then do not crave it again. Last week it was crunch wraps from Taco bell. Last night it was crab dip.

I bought Baby 2's baby book (a cute one with an old fashioned animal theme) and a few new baby books for Nathan. I just love new books and these are particularly exciting for me, hehe.

Nathan is 19 months and just so darn big. I love my sweet boy so much. Here are some things I want to remember about Nathan at this stage:
*How serious he gets when he plays trucks. It is not a joking matter. Also, he lays on the floor and gets sleepy as he pushes them around.
*How he goes around giving everyone their shoes out of the coat closet saying "Das SHOOOOOES" when he wants to go out
*How much he loves coloring with markers and taking the tops on and off. He loves to draw circles and calls them "trucks"
*How he says "luuuh yoo!" and points
*Flirting with waitresses whenever we go out to eat. He loves to smile and wave and chat with them.
*His new fascination with organic squeezable yogurt tubes. He gets so excited when you give him one.
*His truck radar: he can enter a room and if there is a truck anywhere in it, he finds it within seconds. Also we went to the bookstore last night and he saw a huge rack of 100s of books with the spines only showing. The first book he happened to go for was about trucks of course.
*how completely and utterly filthy he gets when he plays outside. He loves to dig in the dirt, color with sidewalk chalk, and fill his trucks up with various treasures
*The last few nights how he wants to snuggle on the couch with me near bedtime and pretends to sleep and shakes his head when Mike tries to get him to put him to bed.
*How he purses his lips and makes big "hmmm mmm" sounds when he smooches

I just love this stage. I can't wait to see my two kids together. Can't believe I have two kids even if one is not officially "here" yet, haha :)

Woohoo

I am so very happy. I am feeling a million times better. I finally have my appetite back and have so much less nausea. I have been cooking and doing more housework. It is wonderful to be feeling more like myself. I am almost 12 weeks long. Only a week or so to go until 2nd trimester! I am still pretty tired, but again not as bad. I stopped losing weight but have not gained any back yet. Still have a pretty good belly going on though! :)

Nathan is doing very well. He is sleeping all night in his big boy bed and doesn't even need Mommy to put him to bed anymore! Mike brings him up to his bed and he falls asleep quickly and stays there all night. What a big boy! He is such a sweet little guy. He brings me so much joy. It is hard to believe that I am going to have my second baby pretty darn soon!