37 Weeks Update {A Day Late}

At 37 weeks gestation...

... my doctor's appointment went well this week, and I only have one more to go before Corrin is here.  Corrin passed the biophysical with an 8 out of 8 again.  She was quite stubborn, and wouldn't move for the ultrasound tech at first. I ended up having to turn onto my left side for her to move.  She's head down, and has been since 28 weeks when we started the biophysical profiles.  She also has a "head full of hair," according to the ultrasound tech.  I thought I had been seeing hair, but never asked.  It's nice to have it confirmed.  After the biophysical profile, I saw the doctor who has turned out to be my favorite at the practice.  I asked her a few questions about the upcoming cesarean.  She answered them also to my satisfaction, and I was out of there.  The only complaint I would have about this appointment, is that I showed up a little early for my appointment, and had to wait well into the time that my appointment was supposed to happen, because they were having a staff meeting.  I understand that the staff needs to have meetings, but I did not appreciate being made to stand in the hall and wait because the meeting was scheduled during the time they scheduled my appointment.

... Corrin is doing some gymnastics in my belly.  My best friend compares her movements to the scene from Alien.  I wouldn't know, because I don't watch scary movies, particularly alien movies.  Baby Girl has my belly contorting into all kinds of weird positions.  I know she's feeling squeezed in there.  I think she and I both are ready for her to come, so that she has all the space she needs to stretch out however she wants.

... I've been having contractions this week.  Some of them feel like my regular braxton hicks contractions, but I've had a few in the last few days that actually hurt.  They also felt different from the braxton hicks I'm used to having.  I drink something and laid down, and they went away, but I will admit that I was nervous.  I thought Baby Girl was going to decide her own birthday.

... had a horrible case of heartburn and indigestion.  I literally wanted to cry.  I was hoping to make it through this entire pregnancy without the heartburn.  I was wrong.

... I have had some horrible swelling at the end of this week also.  My feet, legs, lower back, and fingers were all swollen.  The most likely cause is that I had to work extended hours because of month end.  I know for certain that Baby Girl does not like for me to sit up for extended periods of time.  At least this is my last month end before she's here, and I get to skip September's month end.  Sadly, my wedding bands have come off, and since I'm anticipating swelling after the surgery due to the iv fluids, they won't be going back on for a while.

... I've been going to the restroom constantly.  I feel like I go every ten minutes.  At night, I am up all night, because I have to go, or it feels like I'm going to wet the bed.  The worse part about it is that the restrooms that I usually use at work are currently out of order, so I have to walk ALL the way to the other end of the building to go now.  I know I counted, and one day I went to the restroom a grand total of nine times in one work day.  That's been the average.  They could have waited a couple more weeks to work on the restrooms.

... I have never been this pregnant before.  I had Micah at exactly 37 weeks gestation.  {That would have been yesterday in this pregnancy.}  I've been looking back over the blog from when I had Micah.  I have pretty much the same feelings of excitement, exhaustion, and giddiness.  I was also super worried with Micah, because of his threats to come early, starting at about 31 weeks.  This go around, I'm not worried about her coming too early.  I am actually anticipating it.  She seems to like being in there, though, so I doubt there will be any action until the doctor goes in to get her.

... I have never had a dream about Corrin.  With Micah, I dreamed about him all the time.  The funny thing was that I dreamed that he was a girl in every single dream, with the exception of one.  That dream was the night before his anatomy scan, when I dreamed the the ultrasound monitor read, "IT'S A BOY!"

... I am still working.  I know that my supervisor has been anticipating that I would be going out on bed rest for a while now, but I've made it.  I wouldn't mind if the doctor took me out this week, but I doubt they will unless Corrin is in distress.  

... I think Micah may have some type of intuition that something is about to change.  He has been allowing me to hold him and cuddle with him.  He has also been requesting that I do things for him and with him, that he usually only wants Mikey to do.  I hope Corrin's arrival doesn't rock his world too much.  I am anticipating that he will want to be closer to me when she comes.  I'm worried about his feelings being hurt because I won't be able to hold him after the surgery.

... we have not touched Corrin's nursery.  I take that back.  It's been emptied out, because we moved Micah to his big boy room.  {I promise to complete a post about that sooner or later.}  I also managed to hang most of her clothes in the closet.  That's it.  It is now just a {mostly} empty room, waiting to be made into a nursery for Corrin.  Now if only someone would give me a winning lottery ticket or gift me with a huge chunk of money so that I could actually do the things that I want to do in the house.

... I'm nesting, and Mikey is doing the majority of the work.  This week, he did a lot of outside work.  I like it this way.  In a few weeks, it'll be back to normal, and we'll be sharing the workload a little more evenly.

... I weigh in at 135.6 pounds, and measure at 37.5 inches around.

... Only six days left, and I can't wait to meet Baby Girl!

Micah was wrapped around my leg, hence the facial expression.

Pulling my earring.

36 Weeks Update

At 36 weeks gestation...

... I fell this week.  Read all about it here.

...  Corrin passed her biophysical profile with a score of 8 out of 8.

... I am getting braxton-hicks contractions much more frequently than I was before.  Some times they take my breath away.  Some times I have to stop whatever I'm doing to breath through them.  Most times I don't even realize they are happening until they're nearly gone.

... Corrin is a little acrobat.  She's always in there flipping, rolling, and moving.  My coworkers get a kick out of seeing her rolling around in there.  It's not always the most comfortable thing for me, especially when her movements cause the muscles in my legs to pull and throw me off balance.

... most of my shirts are too small.  Even the maternity shirts are mostly too short.  I have a handful of shirts that I can still wear without having to tug on them all day to keep my belly covered.  This didn't happen with Micah.  I hope I'm not growing a sumo wrestler.

35 weeks, 6 days

And for comparison, my belly with Micah. Excuse the horrible picture.

35 weeks, 6 days

My current view @ 36 weeks

35 Weeks Update

At 35 weeks gestation...

... Corrin has passed another biophysical profile with a score of 8 out of 8.  I also just realized today, that we only have three more scheduled doctor's visits before Baby Girl is here.  I'm so excited to meet her.  At this appointment, we also had a growth scan.  According to the growth scan, Corrin weighs roughly five pounds, 2 ounces {give or take a half pound.}  Micah weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces when he was born at 37 weeks gestation.  I think Corrin is going to be bigger than Micah when she's born.  The appointment took a turn for the worse after that.  I was directed to the wrong area for the remainder of my appointment.  Then I waited for way too long to be called back.  When I finally asked how long my wait would be, the staff realized that I shouldn't be there.  I was under the assumption that the doctor that I was supposed to see had been called away for a delivery and I was being fitted into someone else's schedule.  Instead, the doctor was waiting for me, and I was waiting in the wrong area.  It finally got figured out, and the next time, they had better be waiting on me.

... I also got a prescription for pain medicine for my back pain at my last appointment.  It works, probably too well.  The first time I took it, I slept for hours and didn't even realize I had fallen asleep.  Then it took me about an hour to wake up fully.

... when I left the appointment, of course my first stop was to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy.  There, I had to explain to the lady at the window, that I did indeed have prescription coverage.  Finally that was straightened out, and I was able to go home, eat, and get in the bed.

... I've had a cold since Monday {when I left work early}.  The doctor told me that I was more susceptible because my immune system is compromised by the pregnancy.  She also let me know that it will probably take me longer to get over the cold also, for the same reason.  I think she's right, because I'm still not 100%.

...  my Caesarean section is finally scheduled.  The doctors decided to have us wait until 38 weeks, but I'm okay with that. The reason is to be sure that her lungs have had as much time to develop as possible.  While I'm so very ready for the pain that has come with this pregnancy to end, I would prefer to be in physical pain than to have to deal with the emotional pain of visiting my Baby Girl in the NICU.

... Mikey laid his head on my belly, and he could hear Corrin's heartbeat.  He loved it.

... I still need to begin preparing for Corrin's arrival.  Remember my list here? Well only one of the nine items has been accomplished.  We're doing very badly.  I want to be done, but I can't find the energy.  I have such grand plans in my head though.  Maybe I'll get the energy to put together a mood board.  

... Round. Ligament. Pain.  Enough said.  I literally worry that I am going to fall at any given moment because it feels like the muscles in my legs are suddenly shortening.  Not fun.  It also tends to worry the people around me.  Something about the pregnant lady nearly falling does that I guess.

I weigh 132 pounds, and my waist {if you want to call it that} measures at 37 inches around.  My waist is officially bigger around than my husband's.

33 Weeks Update

At 33 weeks gestation...

... I have finally figured out a way to sleep comfortably.  I place a pillow under my head, belly, and knees.

... I still have indigestion.  It's not as bad as it was last week, but it's still not comfortable.

... the braxton hicks are coming more frequently and stronger.  I'm still having some cramping this week.  I have also developed the wonderful pulling of the ligaments in my groin.

... I was still unable to schedule my cesarean section at my latest appointment. This week I wasn't able to schedule, because the doctor who I have been seeing most frequently recently has retired.  He neglected to update my records appropriately (or the person scheduling didn't look well enough).  Either way the doctor whose opinion she asked regarding when to schedule my cesarean wasn't comfortable with scheduling so early.  The remaining doctors in the practice are meeting Monday to discuss my case, and I should be able to schedule at my next appointment.  Corrin however, passed her biophysical profile with 8 of 8.

... weighed in at 131.2 pounds.

Here are some pictures I took on Wednesday at 32 weeks, 3 days.

32 Week Update

At 32 weeks gestation...

... I have been so exhausted.  I can't sleep comfortably.  I have constant back pain, and lately leg cramps.  I am away from home at least 12 hours every day except Tuesdays for work.  Tuesdays, I have my weekly doctor appointments, so I get to go home and rest. When I do get home, I am playing with Micah, cleaning, and or finding something to eat.

... I have been wrestling with indigestion too.  I had several days of almost constant indigestion.  It feels like my food is sitting like a rock in my throat.  

... I've been under some stress this past week.  Any given thing that's stressing me wouldn't bother me as much if it was the only thing stressing me.  The problem is the combination of stressors.

... my body has developed a disturbing reaction to the constant pain.  Whenever the pain spikes, I start to feel overheated and nearly faint.  I try to avoid being a situations where the pain will spike, by working to maintain some control over the pain with a combination of medication, back support, and heat.  None of these things get rid of the pain completely, but they do help ease the pain.

... my doctor has told me to try Tylenol PM to help deal with the insomnia.  I haven't made it to the store to get any yet, but I think I'm headed there soon.

... I've been an emotional mess.  I despise women who use the excuse of pregnancy to be raging beasts.  I felt like a raging beast this week.  I have experienced the gamut of negative emotions.  I have gone into rages over the simplest of things.  I have fallen into tears at the slightest of insults.  I have found myself irrationally afraid of things that are nowhere near likely to occur.  The worst part of it is I was aware that my emotions were blown completely out of proportion, but there was nothing that I could do to stop myself.

... TMI >>  I have had diarrhea this week. Nothing that I want to think about.  <<  Highlight to read.

... the braxton hicks are coming more frequently.  I've also had some cramping this week.  The doctor told me that it's normal at this stage to have cramping.  It's likely my body preparing for labor.

... I was still unable to schedule my cesarean section at my latest appointment. The doctors' schedule hasn't been finalized yet.  Corrin however, passed her biophysical profile with 8 of 8.

... Corrin has been having the hiccups.  

... weighed in at 129.2 pounds, and measured 36 inches around.

31 Weeks Update

At 31 weeks gestation...

... one of my biggest concerns right now is trying to get comfortable.  No matter what position I am in, I somehow am not comfortable.  It doesn't matter if I am sitting, standing, or laying down.  Eventually, something starts to hurt.  Usually it's my back.  If it's not my back {and sometimes if it is}, I have to deal with the swelling also.  This pregnancy has been much more difficult than Micah's in so many ways.  It's also been better in other ways.  The pain and uncomfortableness {is that a word? It is now.} are much worse than I remember with Micah.  However, Corrin appears to enjoy being inside, and is making no effort to escape early.  I appreciate that.  In case you don't remember, Micah tried to jail break as early as 31 weeks.  Hopefully Baby Girl is more cooperative, and waits until the doctor comes in to get her.

... this week was stressful for me.  There was not one thing in particular that I can pinpoint.  I think it is a combination of lack of sleep, the long commute to and from work on top of the work hours, maintaining the house, and keeping up with Micah.  Friday afternoon, I just wanted to get home, get in bed, and not come out until I felt better.

... I thought I had found the solution to my insomnia.  I noticed that on the nights that I stayed up later than I normally do, I would sleep through the night, mostly.  There were still trips to the restroom, but I was actually able to fall asleep quickly and easily anytime I got up.  I thought maybe I had found a way to be able to get some sleep.  I was wrong.  The next night I tried staying up later, and it backfired on me.  Not only was I unable to fall asleep, but I woke up every hour or two the entire night.  I was miserable the next day.  I don't know what I'm going to do, other than wait for Corrin to be born and decide she's ready to sleep through the night.

... I almost set a date for the cesarean at my last doctor's appointment.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to because the September schedule has not been established yet.  I should definitely be able to schedule at the next appointment on Tuesday.  Other than that, Corrin passed with 8/8 again.  I told you she likes being in there.

... weighed in at 128.4 pounds, and measured 35.5 inches around.

30 Weeks Update

** Catching Up **

At 30 weeks gestation...

... my biophysical went well once again. We passed, with a score of 8 out of 8.  We're also supposed to schedule our cesarean at our next appointment.

... the insomnia, back pain, and swelling continue.

... indigestion has been added to the list of symptoms that I am experiencing.  It is not a pleasant experience.  At least it's not heartburn. {knock on wood.}

... I had a night of leg cramps.  I would be sleeping {a miracle in and of itself} and suddenly my leg muscles would begin to cramp.  Let me tell you, that is a horrible way to wake up.  I am going to buy some bananas as soon as I can make it to the grocery store.

...  the other symptom that I have been having is some very dull cramping.  I think it was my body's way of warning me to take it easy.  The cramping came after a very busy day. I'm not all that concerned.  Especially since they haven't come back since that day.

... cervix kicks!  Corrin has given me a couple good kicks down there.  Not fun!

29 Weeks Update

** Catching Up **

At 29 weeks gestation...

... I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday.  I had my first biophysical test.  These will continue weekly throughout the remainder of the pregnancy.  We passed with flying colors.  Corrin is growing appropriately, and there were no concerns.  I also had my Rhogam shot.  That part of the doctor's visit was not so fun, but I understand the necessity.  I have no problem with doing what I have to do to insure my health and the health of my babies.

...  The doctor and I talked about delivery.  We agreed that with my history, we are not going to risk my going into labor.  That means another cesarean section, and that Baby Girl will be coming between 36 and 37 weeks, like Micah.

...  my back hurts.  It is excruciating some days.  I take pain killers, change position, apply heat, and anything else I can think of at the time to try to alleviate the pain.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  I know that it is because my frame is small, and I carry my babies all out in front, but it still hurts.

... still with the swelling.

... I am exhausted most days.  I'm not sleeping well at night.  I wake up tired, and by the end of the day I am completely drained.

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.

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.

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.

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.