It Won't Be Like This For Long

After this week, I needed this song to remind me that it won't be like this for long.

I know that this time next year, I will be longing for these days.  Even though it's hard right now, I know I will wish for this time again.  I have to remind myself to cherish these moments with my baby now.

Darius Rucker is able to say it so much better than I.  Here are the lyrics.

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all nite
Lay'n there in bed listen'n
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
Splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It's gonna be OK

It won't be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laugh'n
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It won't be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This will only last a week or two

It won't be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won't even know your gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won't be like this for long

Some day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times you'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And raise her vail
But right now she's up and cry'n
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watch'n her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows
It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
So he's try'n to hold on
Cause, it won't be like this for long
It won't be like this for long

Down Goes Pregzilla

I had a doctor's appointment today.  The appointment was set for 10:15 this morning.  I woke up with plenty of time to spare.  Actually, Mikey forgot that I had a doctor's appointment.  He woke me to go to work.  He thought I had overslept.  Anyway, I got dressed, and headed for my appointment.  I made it there with plenty of time to spare.  I got out of my truck, and headed into the building for my appointment.  I stepped up onto the curb, and then I fell.  That's right!  I fell.  I fell right onto my belly.  And suddenly there were fifty-eleven people there.  I didn't know what to think.  I still am not 100% sure what happened. 

The crowd helped me up into a sitting position.  Then one lady went to get a wheelchair, because I could tell that I had hurt my knee.  She took me up to my doctor's office, and notified the desk that I had fallen coming in for my appointment.  There was no wait this week.  I was immediately taken for the biophysical profile.  Corrin wasn't very cooperative.  As a matter of fact, she was down right obstinate.  I felt myself starting to panic.  Finally, however, she decided that it wasn't worth the hassle, and did what she needed to do.  She passed with a score of 8 out of 8 again.  I was then immediately checked in for my appointment, and went almost directly into a room.  The doctor came in, and checked me over again.  I had bruised my knee and scraped my palms.  Other than that, all was well.  The doctor sent me home with instructions to take it easy and ice my knee.

I really don't know exactly how I fell.  I wasn't rushing.  I know I stepped up onto the curb.  The only thing I can figure is that I took the step, and then Corrin moved, causing the muscle in my leg to pull.  All I know is that I could not catch my balance after I started falling, and down went pregzilla!

Oddly enough, when I got home, and had rested up, Micah managed to push me down too.  I was walking toward the couch, and he decided that I needed some more excitement in my life.  He walked up behind me, and pushed me.  I was close enough to the couch to catch myself.  

Uncle Monkey says that my children have it out for me.  He may be onto something.

28 Week Update

** Catching Up **

At 28 weeks gestation...

... my sleep is still restless.  I don't expect this to get any better any time soon.  

... I'm still having swelling.  Some days are worse than others.

...  it is absolutely too hot.  I am doing all I can to avoid the heat. 

... I have my first biophysical exam on Tuesday.  They will continue throughout the remainder of the pregnancy to monitor Corrin's growth, and make sure she continues to do well in the womb.

Introducing...

** Catching Up **

After much debate concerning exactly what we were going to name this little girl, Mikey and I finally came to a decision. Then we immediately fell directly into another debate.  How in the world are we going to spell the chosen name?  The options were Corinne {my choice} and Corrin {Mikey's choice}.  I wanted to go with the more traditional spelling, while Mikey wanted to avoid confusion regarding the pronunciation of her name.  The intended pronunciation is "Co-rin."  We are trying to avoid her being called "Co-reen," and having to correct people.  

I'm almost certain that no matter what, there will be people who will mispronounce her name.  My name is Latasha, and I am called Latisha all the time by people who look at the spelling and attempt to pronounce my name.  I don't understand where they get the "i" sound from, but they manage to find it between reading my name and pronouncing it.  Worse yet, is the people who hear me pronounce my name, then  still call me Latisha.

So the final decision came, when I finally just gave in.  We have been at a stalemate for weeks, and I am just tired of not being able to write/type my baby's name.  I fell in line with the rationalization that because I won the debate concerning the order of her name, Mikey could win the debate concerning the spelling. {I would like to point out however, that as I type this, spell check recognizes my spelling as correct, and Mikey's as a mistake.} 

Corrin Zarya

Corrin: Maiden

Zarya: Goddess of beauty or Rose

27 Weeks Update

At 27 weeks gestation...

... we have finally reached the third trimester!  One more milestone down.  Now let the countdown to September begin.

... I looked down this morning, and realized that I can't see my feet.  With Micah, I didn't come to this realization until around 32 weeks.  I don't know if she will be bigger than Micah at birth, but my belly certainly is bigger this pregnancy.

...  all the energy that I thought I had is gone.  At my doctor's appointment, my blood test showed that my iron levels were low.  I am now taking an iron supplement {and stool softener} to help boost my iron levels, and hopefully give me more energy.  This past week I have been feeling very drained.

... my doctor's appointment went well, minus the whole iron deficiency thing.  I passed my glucose test, which is what I was worried about going into the appointment.  I also got the results from my blood test from my previous appointment.  I do not have cholestasis. The best we can figure is that I had an allergic reaction to some unknown substance.  We talked about a few other things, and then the appointment was over.

... sleep is not the best, which sucks because with the low iron levels, I could really use all the rest I can get right now.  I have to get up to use the restroom.  I wake up because my back starts hurting.  Sometimes I just can sleep, and sit up for an hour or two before I can finally fall back asleep.  My alarm clock sounds way too early every morning.  To make matters worse, on the weekends, when I could sleep in, I am awake at 7:30 am at the latest. 

...  I have Braxton Hicks contractions.  It's been ongoing for a few weeks now.  I'm just remembering to mention them on the blog.  I usually get them when I have to use the restroom.  Sometimes they are random.  When I get them, my stomach tightens all over and I have shortness of breath.  I've only had one or two that hurt.  My doctor is not concerned.

... I was sick at work.  Dizziness and vomiting are not things you want to experience in the work environment.

...  I have this reoccurring pain in my neck.  Maybe it's from sleeping uncomfortably.  Maybe it's from tension.  I don't know, but I have figured out that applying heat and taking pain killers gets rid of the ache for a few days.

26 Weeks Update

At 26 weeks gestation...

... I have more energy.  I really thought I was going to go through this entire pregnancy as a run down, tired, haggard looking something.  Just a couple weeks shy of the third trimester, my body decides to allow me some energy.  I am so grateful.  At least I am having this time, because the third trimester is fast approaching, and with it, I'm sure I'll be tired again.

... I have a doctor's appointment this week. I wasn't supposed to be going back for another appointment until 28 weeks.  My doctor decided it would be a better idea to split up that appointment, because I would have had my glucose test, my Rhogam shot, and my first biophysical exam all at the 28 week appointment.  That's a bit much.

...  I'm still having swelling.  It's not horribly bad.  It just makes walking around a little uncomfortable by the end of the day.  

...  the real pain in the neck is the pain in my back.  No matter how I situate myself, my back hurts.  About the only thing that eases the pain is to apply heat to the muscles.  By the end of the day, all I want to do is lay down, and rest my poor aching body.  I think I'm going to have to find a support belt for my back.

...  my sleep is pretty good.  Of course, I have to get up during the night to use the restroom, but other than that, I sleep pretty well.  The only other thing that wakes me up during the night is back aches because my belly is pulling on my back muscles.

... you can see Baby Girl moving around from the outside.  I have no idea what she's doing in there, but she looks like she's practicing to be an acrobat or contortionist.

... I weigh in at 123 pounds, and my belly measures 34.25 inches around.

25 weeks, 5 days with Micah

25 Weeks Update

At 25 weeks {and 3 days} gestation...

... I'm feeling lots of movement and kicking. Baby Girl is always kicking, rolling, and moving around, it seems.  She also likes to curl up in one position just behind my navel for naps.  That's not at all comfortable, but I'll survive.

... my sleep is getting better.  Of course, some nights are better than others, but at least I'm able to get some restful sleep on occasion.  It may just be that my body has reached it's limit, and decided that no matter what, it's going to get some rest.  I don't know, but I appreciate it.

...  my feet swell.  Today, as we were nearly home, I realized that one leg was slightly swollen and the other was not.  I go back to the doctor next week for the dreaded glucose test.  I'll talk to whichever doctor I see then.

...  I seem to have more energy.  I've noticed for a while now, that I have more energy on week days when I have to be up and moving around to go to work, than I do on the weekend, when I have the luxury of lazing around all day.  Well now, I find that I have more energy in general.  It's kind of nice.

...  I'm still taking my {almost} daily walks.  I try to get out daily, but sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate.  And sometimes, I'm just too lazy to put in the effort to walk.  I'm trying to do better, and Mikey is always on hand to remind me.  {The bump pictures were taking after my walk today.}

... I think Baby Girl likes her brother.  Either that or she wants him to be quiet.  She gets really active when he's being really loud.  It's funny to know that she's reacting to him already.  Speaking of the big brother, he's really interested in my belly.  He realizes that it's growing.  Sometimes he will lift my shirt and kiss my belly with no prompting from me.  As a matter of fact, if I try to get him to repeat the kiss, he refuses.  He also like to rub my belly, and will walk up to me and lift my shirt so that he can reach my bare skin.  He, however, refuses to say baby or call her name.

24 Weeks Pregnancy Vlog

At 24 weeks gestation...

... we have reached the point of viability.  At this point, Baby Girl has roughly a 50% chance of survival if she is born.  Of course, the longer she stays put, the better her chances of survival become.  

... this week has been marked by several issues for me.  I've been exhausted.  Mostly, because the end of the month is very busy at work, and I haven't been able to sleep well.  Sometimes I haven't been able to sleep at all.  My sleep is usually restless when I do sleep.  I wake up several times during the night.  I also have some crazy dreams that wake me up.  I just wish I could sleep better during the night, especially since I can't take naps during the day.

...  in other news, I've developed a severe itch.   It started sometime during the week with just my legs {from the knees and down} itching.  Friday night after I had gone to bed my entire body started itching: arms, legs, belly, back, underarms, throat, chin, face, and even my ears.  It's the worst at my joints.  Speaking of joints, they are warmer than the rest of my body.  At first, it was just the itchiness, but now I've also developed hives. The hives come and go.  They are usually on the inside of the joints that itch the worse at that moment.  I've been scratching, taking extra showers and bathes, applying lotion to my body repeatedly, and I finally broke down and tried Benadryl.  Nothing works very well, or for very long.  I itch so badly sometimes that it feels like my skin is burning.  I have found that if I'm distracted by something else that I'm doing, I can sometimes ignore the itchiness.  It doesn't go away, but I can ignore it.  I will be asking the doctor about this at my next appointment, which is coming up on Tuesday.

... I nearly fainted yesterday.  I was so close that my vision had shrunk to blackness.  It's really my own fault.  I waited too long to eat, because I was so busy cleaning and getting ready for a bridal shower that was held at my home for one of my church member's.  I ended up disappearing into a bedroom, where I slept through a good portion of the shower.  I feel horrible that I missed most of the shower, but I would have felt so much worse if I had fainted.  That probably would have ended the whole event.  I also wasn't the hostess.  I only provided the venue.

...  we're feeling lots of movement from Baby Girl.  She gives me some big kicks and somersaults.  She has also started balling herself up in one spot for naps.  That of course is not comfortable for me.  I told someone that it feels like bones rubbing my muscles from the inside.  

... still in nesting mode.  I really wish I could win the lottery, so that I could actually make the changes that I want to make in my home.

...  we've started walking daily.  I'm trying to build some stamina as I go through the pregnancy.  Being pregnant is tiring enough when you are in shape.  It's even more so when you're out of shape.

...  we really have given Baby Girl a name.  It took some back and forth debating between Mikey and I, but she does have a name.  The debate now is the spelling of her name.  Watch the video to hear the pronunciation. 

23 Week Update

At 23 weeks gestation...

... I had a bout with vertigo.  I found out from my mom that she had vertigo when she was pregnant with me, and that salt and ginger helped her to feel better.  I had a hot dog and french fries, and the vertigo went away.  Hopefully, this knowledge will help me to avoid feeling so bad.

... I had some swelling.  No elephant legs, but I noticed that my ankles were a little swollen.  I drank plenty of fluids and tried to keep my feet elevated while sitting at my desk.  The swelling went away as quickly as it appeared.

... Baby girl has been much more active, and I feel her movement more strongly.

... still feeling the urge to nest.

...  still exhausted.  My rest is restless at best.

22 Weeks Update

At 22 weeks gestation...

... I feel pretty good most days.  I still have some days when vertigo gets the best of me, but for the most part, I feel great.

... I got to meet one of my friend's baby girl.  She was born the Saturday before Mother's Day.  My baby girl already has a friend, and she's not even here yet.

... My mom surprised me, and came to visit.  Micah and I were pretty excited to see her, and we really didn't want to see her go.

... I get kicked quite often by Baby Girl.  She's obviously growing, and getting stronger every day.  Her kicks are much more powerful.  She kicked me hard enough to bend me over today.

... We've chosen a name.  I'll make a post just for that announcement.

... Micah loves my belly.  He will lift up my shirt, and rub my belly.  He's realizing that some things are changing, but I'm sure that he doesn't realize how much his world is going to change in September.

... I am sleeping horribly.  My sleep is so restless, that I wake up more tired than I was when I went to bed.  And I hate having to get up in the night to use the restroom.  I really wish I could get better rest.  The worst part about it, though, is knowing that it's going to get so much worse before it gets any better.

... I think I'm starting to nest.  I am wanting to make changes around the house. I have visions of the way I want certain rooms to look.  Now if I could just win the lottery so I could actually afford to do everything that I would like.

... weighed in at 121.4 pounds and my belly measured at 33.5 inches around.

21 Weeks

At 21 weeks gestation...

... I realized that I haven't bought anything for baby girl yet.  It's weird because at this point, with Micah I was shopping up a storm.  We had bought the crib by now, and the bedding.  I was in the process of registering.  For Baby Girl, I haven't even bought her one outfit.  I already feel like I did more for Micah.  

... I also realized that I wrote letters to Micah every week.  I have to start letters to my daughter also. 

... I am exhausted.  I either can't sleep or I sleep restlessly.  Good night's rest come few and far between.  I have to figure something out, because I need my rest.

...  I've had a few episodes of vertigo.  Feeling dizzy even when sitting or laying down is a horrible feeling.  Its usually the result of changing positions too quickly.  I've also learned that can't sleep all weekend.  I can't lay around all weekend, and I have to move around more, or I have severe vertigo on Monday morning when it's time for work. 

... I'm moving slowly and having shortness of breath.  I'm sure it's because I'm not in shape at all. I  wasn't in shape at the start of this pregnancy, and I haven't done much to get into shape.  I need to start walking.  I also plan to establish a workout routine after I've had her, and healed up.  

...  we're still debating on what Baby Girl's name is going to be.  We've basically decided what her name will be.  We just have to decide which order the name is going to be in. I like one name for the first name, and Mikey likes the other.  When we decide, I'll let you know, of course. 

... I get kicked all the time now.  She's much more active now.  She's also establishing her schedule.  It looks like she's going to be a night owl like Micah was.

... I've been craving sweets, chocolate in particular, lately.  I try to only eat sweets in moderation, and I happy to say that I haven't felt badly after satisfying a craving. 

... measured at xx inches around, and weighed in at 119 pounds.

20 Weeks

At 20 weeks gestation...

... we're at the half way point in the pregnancy!

...  I had the flu last week. :(  (Otherwise, I would have posted a 19 week post.)  What a horrible time to catch the flu!  I hated being sick.  I hated that I couldn't be around Micah the way I wanted, and that he didn't understand why he couldn't crawl into bed with his mommy. 

... I had doctor's appointment last week also.  We had our initial anatomy scan.  There were some concerns that were confirmed at this week's scan.  She is growing appropriately, but she has a two vessel umbilical cord, instead of a three vessel cord.  Her umbilical cord has one vein and one artery, and it should have two veins and one artery.  The major concern is that her growth may be affected later in the pregnancy.  Right now, the plan is to monitor her growth closely beginning at 32 weeks.

... I find that summer dresses are the most comfortable.  It's getting really hot in the south, and dresses are cool and comfortable. 

... I had a dizzy spell this weekend.  It was a result of going from laying down, to picking up toys from the floor, to climbing the stairs. 

... Mikey and I are debating names right now.  Choosing a name is hard work.

... my belly measures 32.5 inches.  I managed to forget to weigh myself.

It's A... {Gender Reveal}

We had our anatomy scan last week, and another today.  Baby Giles # 2 was  cooperative. We got to see all the baby's body parts.  The baby looked great.  All the body parts and organs are growing and developing appropriately.  There was a possible problem with the umbilical cord at the initial ultrasound, which is why we had the second ultrasound.  They confirmed that the baby does have a two vessel umbilical cord with one artery and one vein.  The umbilical cord should have three vessels, one vein and two arteries.  According to the doctor that I saw last week and today, there is little cause for concern.  They said that a two vessel cord happens more often than we think.  It is a soft marker for genetic abnormalities, but all testing that I have had so far has come back normal.  We talked about how it could affect the baby.  Basically what they told me is that it could affect the baby's growth later in the pregnancy.  Right now, the plan is to have a biophysical profile weekly starting at 32 weeks gestation.  I'm sure you ready to know whether Baby Giles is a boy or a girl, so...

Baby Giles #2 is a GIRL!

Mikey was right again.  Now to find a name for baby girl.  That's harder than we thought it would be.

18 Week Pregnancy Vlog

At 18 weeks gestation...

... my first trimester symptoms are basically gone.  No more nauseous, aversions, etc.  Now, I am getting tired from walking long distances.  I have some shortness of breath, usually from walking long distances.  I want to sleep more often, and for longer periods of time.  I've had some braxton hicks contractions, but those were as a result of a near accident, and have mostly gone away.  I've had some crazy dreams in the past week, but thankfully the headaches have pretty much gone away.

... Mikey and I were nearly in an accident.  The seat belt pulled across the bottom of my stomach.  Even though I try to wear it as low as I can, across my hips, it rides up. Two different idiot drivers swerved into our lane.  Mikey, who was driving at the time, slammed on the brakes to avoid being hit on my side of the car.  We weren't hit, thank goodness.  After it was all said and done, the bottom of my stomach was sore for about a half an hour, and then it went away.  I didn't think much more of it, until the next morning when I woke up to a braxton hicks contraction.  I didn't start having braxton hicks with Micah until about 26 weeks.  At about 30 weeks, I started being monitored regularly because they were causing changes to my cervix.  When I woke up to that feeling, I was a little worried, but I started drinking water knowing that sometimes dehydration can cause contractions.  As the morning progressed, the braxton hicks contractions came more and more frequently, so I called my doctor's office.  The nurse told me to come in to be checked out.  The doctor checked me, and all was well.  There were no changes.  Everything looked to be closed up tight, and the doctor wasn't worried.  I went home to rest, and haven't felt bad since. I'm hoping to avoid being monitored so often with this pregnancy. 

... went big with my hair.  In case you couldn't tell in the video, I chopped it all off.  After taking the twists out, I realized that my hair wasn't getting any better, and decided to go for broke.  I'm going to start over, and go natural.  Hopefully, I get the kind of results I want.  So far, I'm loving it.

... have bought some more clothes.  Mostly loose fitting tops, and  few dresses.  Nothing else maternity.  I doubt I'll but anything else maternity.  Maternity clothes are too expensive for something that I'm going to wear for a very short amount of time in the grand scheme of things.  Especially because I'm so small naturally.  Buying a larger size in regular clothes works throughout most if not all of my pregnancy. 

...  I'm getting more and more excited to find out if this little one is a boy or girl (hopefully Thursday).  Hopefully the nugget cooperates.  Of course, I really just want a healthy baby, and don't care if I have a boy or girl.  But I'm really interested to know either way.

... weighed in at 118.4, and belly measured at 32 inches around.

Boy or Girl? Who Cares?

Before I even got pregnant this go around, I thought about the gender of my next child.  Honestly, I would be happy either way.  When Micah turned about a year old, I started imagining having two boys and a girl. Would I be disappointed to have only boys? NO.  Would I be disappointed to have Micah be the only boy? NO.  Honestly, I would love either gender.  Before Mikey and I even married, I said I wanted only boys.  After getting married, but before having a boy, I realized that having a girl wouldn’t be so bad. (Hopefully she wouldn’t be all wrapped up into pink and girly stuff.  I really wouldn't know what to do with that.)  A part of me wants Micah to have a brother to have a brotherly relationship with.  Mostly, that want is due to my brother.  He was the only boy for many years, and would often say that he had to wait until he went to college to find brothers.  That stuck with me.  I guess what I’m trying to say is boy or girl, when I go in for my anatomy scan on the 26th (or when this stinker is born, if he/she is stubborn) I will be ecstatic whether baby #2 is a boy or a girl.   

*****

That being said, let’s talk about old wive’s tales.  

Heart Rate

If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl.  If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.  Baby Giles #2's heart rate has fluctuated.   At some appointments it was in the 160's and at others it was in the 140's.  I guess that means that #2 is a girl.

Belly

If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl.  If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy.   According to this old wive's tale, #2 is a boy.

Ring Test

Using a string, hang your wedding ring over your pregnant belly.  You are having a girl if the ring swings back and forth  and it’s a boy if it swings in a circle.  

Shape of Mom's Face

When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl.  If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy.   This one says #2 is a girl.

 Acne

If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. I won't show you the picture, but I had one huge bump that looked like it was made up of three or four smaller bumps all clumped together.  It was horrible.  Needless to say, I'm thinking girl for this old wive's tale.

Cravings

People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy.  If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.  I haven't really had cravings this pregnancy, but if I had to choose, I would say that salty foods sound more appetizing to me.  I guess that means boy.

 

Chinese Gender Chart

The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%.  It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived.  The Chinese Gender Chart says #2 is a boy.

Mom's Beauty

Basically you are having a girl if your beauty disappears during pregnancy.  It is said that the girl “steals” the mother’s beauty.  If you think that pregnancy has never made you look more beautiful, you might just be having a little boy.  My mom, Mikey, and I agree, that I look much the same. I guess that means #2 is a boy.

Dreams of the Baby

If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl.  If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy.  Dreams show the opposite of what you are having.  I haven't had any dreams about this baby.  With Micah, I always dreamed that he was a girl.  My dreams aren't telling me anything for #2.

Morning Sickness

If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy.  If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl. This pregnancy has been smooth sailing, so I'm guessing boy.

Headaches

If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy.  Lately, I've been having headaches nearly everyday.  I guess that means boy.

That's 6 for boy, and 3 for girls.

*****

So what do you think?  Leave a comment telling whether you think boy or girl and why.  Mikey is definitely in the little girl camp.  I am thinking little boy.  I must admit, though, that Mikey was right about Micah, and I was wrong, but I based my guess on my dreams. 

17 Weeks Pregnancy Vlog

At 17 weeks gestation...

... my symptoms are still minimal.  I get daily reminders that I'm pregnant in the form of kicks from baby #2.  I also get Micah kicks, pokes, and hits too.  I didn't realize how much he pushes off of my stomach to get up or lands on my stomach when playing.  I'm still feeling very tired, even after a full night's rest.  Lately, I've been getting headaches too.  It' almost daily.  I'm not sure what's causing the headaches, but I want them to go away.  I also realized that I had headaches during my pregnancy with Micah as well.  They lasted from roughly 16 weeks to 20 weeks.  Hopefully these headaches will soon be gone.

... I'm very frustrated with my hair.  During my first pregnancy, my hair thinned and broke off really badly.  Once I gave birth, it got worse.  It hasn't gotten any better since then.  As a matter of fact, it's gotten so much worse.  I really don't know what to do with it any more.  

...  maternity clothes are a must.  At least on my bottom half.  I can still fit into quite a few of my regular tops, especially if they aren't too structured.  But all my skirts and pants have to have a maternity or elastic waist.  I prefer dresses most days, and those I still wear in regular sizes. 

...  I weigh in at 118 pounds.  My waist has expanded to 31 1/4 inches.  This nugget is growing.

... I'm so excited for the anatomy scan.  I'm praying for a healthy baby, and excited to find out if this one will be a boy or a girl.  April 26th can't get here fast enough.

16 Weeks

At 16 weeks gestation...

... I am feeling lots of baby movement.  He or she is in there rolling, flipping, and kicking all the time.  I still feel most movement when I'm sitting or laying still.  Also when something rests against belly, I get kicked in that spot.  Micah has been kicked for resting against my belly too.  Even the seat belt has been kicked.

... I had a doctor's appointment last week.  Everything looked great.  I scheduled my anatomy scan for the end of the month.  We should find out whether Baby Giles # 2 is a boy or a girl on the 26th.  Hopefully the baby cooperates.  I also got a reminder that I would have to take the rhogam shot again at about 28 weeks.

... we're hoping for a healthy baby first and foremost.  I must throw that disclaimer out first.  Now on to the question of what do we want; a boy or a girl? Truthfully, it doesn't matter to me.  A part of me wants Micah to have a brotherly relationship.  A part of me wants a girl.  Mikey and most of our family are convinced that this is a girl.  Time will tell.  We'll either find out at the end of the month or September when the baby comes.

... I found that eating sweets causes me to feel bad.  I had a similar reaction to sweets when I was pregnant with Micah.  Anything that can be considered sweet (juice, candy, cake, etc.) causes my blood sugar level to spike and then drop really quickly.  This leaves me feeling really bad, sometimes nauseous.  I've learned to monitor what I eat, and significantly change the amount of sweets that I eat.

... I haven't been feeling as rested after I sleep.  I fall asleep just fine, and usually sleep like a log.  I only wake up to use the bathroom once a night or if Micah cries during the night.  I am going to try going to bed earlier.  Hopefully, that way I'll feel better rested when I wake in the mornings.

... I'm starting to think about names.  We are going to wait until we know it's a boy or girl before we discuss names, but I like to be prepared.  It will probably be a while before we choose a name though.

... don't have any cravings and aversions anymore.  Lately, I've been really indecisive about what I want to eat.  It makes deciding what to eat for lunch very difficult.

... I have developed an outie belly button again.  It caught me completely by surprise.

... measured my baby bump at 30.5 inches, and weigh in at 117.6 pounds.

14 Weeks

I'll try to update with the video and pictures tomorrow.  I'm headed to bed.

At 14 weeks gestation...

... my symptoms are pretty much gone.   I've still been really tired.  The nausea is gone except on very rare occasions, when I'm hungry.  I also have to get up every night, at least once to go potty.  I've been dreaming a lot lately too.  Mostly I dream about work.  It's not stressful.  I dream about the process that I do at work.

... I'm craving pickles and McAlister's Deli.  I've also wanted hot dogs, ice cream, and pasta.  But those aren't really cravings.  Once I've eaten them once, I'm over it.  The only aversion I've had is chicken.  Chicken is almost the only thing I could eat when I was pregnant with Micah.  It's kind of funny.

... my belly button has almost disappeared.  Before I gave birth to Micah, I had a pretty deep innie.  After having Micah, my belly button never really went back to the way it was before.  It went back to an innie, but it wasn't as deep.  In the last week, it has pretty much flattened out.  Hopefully, after this pregnancy, I won't have a permanent outie.   

... I've been feeling distinct little thumps.  It's usually when I lay down at night or when I am still and resting my arm on my belly.  Big personality already.  At first I was convinced that I was imagining it, but it's happened more than a few times.  I didn't begin to think I was feeling movement with Micah until about 18 weeks.  It's amazing how much sooner I am feeling this baby.

... I really miss sleeping through the night.  I also miss having clothes that fit, and wearing my high heels.  I was looking forward to warm weather so I could wear my platform heels, and now they're too high.

...  I went in for my nuchal translucency scan last week.  I got to see the little one moving around and waving in there.  With Micah, I opted out of the nuchal scan.  Now I wish I had gotten the scan.  Oh well, hind sight is 20/20. 

... weighed in at 114.6 pounds according to my home scale.  My waist is 30 3/4 inches around.  I definitely have a pouch now.  I have to wear maternity pants or dresses now, because my regular bottoms no longer fit.

12 Weeks Pregnancy Vlog

I know I've missed several weeks.  This update will cover the weeks I missed also.  At 12 weeks gestation...

... my symptoms have eased off considerably.  In the past few weeks, I've been exhausted.  I've gone to bed as early as 8:30pm and slept through the night.  Generally, I am such a night owl. Starting a new job while growing a baby is hard work.  The nausea has ended for the most part.  It never was bad, but I'm glad that it's leaving.  Now the only time that I get nauseous is when I wait too long to eat.  I did have one episode of vomiting.  Of course, it was because I had waited to long to eat.  I had drunk a glass of orange juice, because I felt like I was catching a cold.  Unfortunately, I didn't eat first.  Let me just say, orange juice on the way up is disgusting.  That one episode of vomiting led to hemorrhoids.  All I can say is OMG!


... cravings and aversions are nonexistent.  It's kind of funny.


... had my second doctor's appointment.  The doctor had trouble finding baby #2's heartbeat with the doppler machine, so she decided to use the ultrasound machine, since it was in the room.  She found the baby and his/her heartbeat with no problem.  The baby's heart rate was at 169 this time.  She also talked to me about the nuchal translucency screening.  We opted out of it for Micah, because we knew that regardless of any findings we would not end our pregnancy.  I also tend to be a worrier, and often think in worst case scenarios.  I allowed myself to be talked into the scan.  Mostly because it will allow me another peek at my newest little one before the anatomy scan.  Hopefully nothing goes wrong.


... weighed in at 114 pounds according to my home scale.  My waist is XX inches around.  I definitely have a pouch now.  I know that it's my internals shifting around to make room for baby.  I'm going to have to move into loose fitting and maternity clothes soon.


So far everything has been going so well, that sometimes I forget I'm pregnant.

12 weeks

12 weeks

Baby #2 at 11 weeks, 1 day

Stop The Presses

Do you see that? Yes! I am, indeed, pregnant again.  Do you remember this post?  We found out the day after this dream that we were adding on to the Giles family.  How prophetic.  If I’m not mistaken, Mikey dreamed about his mother before we found out we were expecting Micah as well.  I must also say that Uncle Monkey called me the same day that I posted about Mikey's dream, and told me that he thought that the dream meant that I was pregnant.

I have also decided that for this pregnancy I want to do something different.  I’m going to attempt pregnancy vlogs.  Basically, you get the same information that I type out, but in video form.

At 8 weeks gestation...

... I'm having some symptoms.  I am always eating.  I am always hungry, and eating keeps me from being nauseous.  As long as I have something in my stomach, I feel fine.  I am, of course, going to the restroom more often.  That may have something to do with all the water I'm trying to drink.  I had one episode of bleeding gums.  This is a lesser known symptom of pregnancy, but one that I had with Micah also.  I am also exhausted all the time.  I want to take naps, but I can't.  I'm usually sleepy when Micah is awake, and not sleepy when he takes his naps.  Our naps need to get on the same timetable. I have experienced some cramping and spotting, but the doctor was not concerned.  I am not doing anything that could cause strain on myself, and that's the only thing I can do to prevent the cramping and spotting for now.  I've also had some crazy dreams lately.  Last, but not least, I've had some nausea.  I have been eating several small meals a day, drinking ginger ale, and sucking peppermint to combat the nausea.  I am so grateful to a former coworker who let me know the secret of peppermint.  Basically if you're nauseous, eat a peppermint.  If you are going to vomit, the peppermint will cause you to do so, and if you're not, the peppermint will calm the nausea.

... I've had very few cravings.  In the past week, I craved hot dogs, salad, and pickles in the same night.  After eating them, I haven't craved them anymore.  I also want a burger that I can only get from home.  I wouldn't technically call this one a craving though.  These burgers are so good,  I just want one of them.  My aversions though, are weird.  I found out while eating a sandwich that I don't like the taste of miracle whip.  I actually ended up scraping it off my sandwich before I could finish eating.  I also strongly dislike the smell of Micah's clean diapers.  They have some type of fragrance in them, and it makes me nauseous every time I change his diaper.  The funny thing is the smell of a stinky diaper doesn't bother me nearly as much as a clean diaper.

... had my first doctor's appointment.  I got to see and hear the baby's heartbeat. The heartbeat was at 132.  Micah's heartbeat ranged from the 150's to the 160's.  I like the doctor that I've seen so far.  I have to cycle through all of the doctors in the practice, so hopefully, I'll like them all.

... weighed in at 117 pounds at the doctor's office, but according to my home scale, I weigh 115.6 pounds.  My waist is 28.5 inches around.  I kept up with my weight gain with Micah, but not my stomach's growth.  I ended up gaining roughly 25 pounds with Micah.

I have had a couple people ask me if this baby is planned.  Yes, he or she was planned.  The baby is just coming a little sooner than anticipated.  We were planning to wait until Micah's was closer to two years old before trying for another.  The way it is turning out, we will have two babies under the age of two for about two months.  Our plan got bumped up a little, but we are so happy with the way things are turning out.