100 days!

There are only 100 days left until August 17th (Baby Boy's due date)! That means that it is very likely that we could meet our littlest guy in LESS THAN 100 days! (Or, a few more than 100 days....) It also means that in only 101 days, my "little" big boy will turn TWO YEARS OLD! When they say that time flies, they aren't a kiddin'!

It's a BOY!!

We are thrilled to announce that we will be having another Baby Boy join our family soon! We are also thrilled to announce that he looked perfect and healthy during our anatomy scan yesterday!

Thoughts on #2.

I'm feeling so many different emotions about our unborn child right now. Of course, I'm excited! I can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl, I can't wait to hold him/her in my arms, and I can't wait to be a family of four.
But, as excited as I am, there is a little part of me that feels like Baby #2 is already getting the shaft! When I was pregnant with Nathaniel, I thought about the growing baby in my belly all. the. time. Now, I do think about this baby daily, but I'm too busy chasing Baby #1 around most of the time to think about what miracle is going on in my tummy! When I was pregnant with Nathaniel, we read a chapter of two different books each Thursday night as we jumped to a new week of pregnancy. This time, we change weeks on Fridays, and I typically remember to glance through the books sometime on Saturday or Sunday. Or Monday. When I was 17 weeks pregnant with Nathaniel, we had already bought several items for the baby (onesies, toys, etc). So far, I've only gotten three boxes of nursing pads for Baby #2.
And, although we don't know the sex yet, I'm already feeling a bit of guilt because I know that if we have another boy, he's already got about 12 boxes of hand-me-downs to wear! Heck, they're even going to have birthdays in the same season--everything should fit! Not that I think there is anything wrong with hand-me-downs (obviously), but every child deserves a few new things, right? It has even crossed my mind that if we have another boy, I could just decorate his room with the things that I've taken out of Nate's room recently. Is that terrible? To top it all off, we have absolutely NO IDEAS for boy names. None. We do have a girl name picked out (leftover from pregnancy #1), but I cannot think of a single other boy name that I love. I jokingly told Eric that if we have another boy, we'll just have to call him Isaac Nathaniel. But, the more I think about it, I think I was serious.
I suppose that once we find out the sex of Baby #2, I'll feel a little more connected to him/her. (And, there is a 50% chance that that entire last paragraph of guilt is unfounded.) To be honest, I don't remember if I felt any more or less of a connection to Nathaniel when I was 17 weeks pregnant with him. He was my first, and I didn't really know what to expect. I was excited (as I am now), but I didn't really know what I would eventually feel for him. This time, while I don't know this baby yet, I do understand a smidgen of the love that I will feel when I get to hold him/her and breathe in that sweet newborn scent.
Perhaps the most vivid memory of my life was the moment that Nate was born--I can still see the doctor holding his tiny body up in the air like it was yesterday. I don't remember a whole lot about anything else that happened during those minutes, but I remember the first second I could finally lay eyes upon my son. And, second only to the moment that Nathaniel gets to meet his new baby sibling, I am anticipating that moment again. What a miraculous thing it is to bring life into the world, and what a wonderful feeling it is to be a mother! The more I think about it, nothing else really matters. Baby #2 won't care whether or not I read a chapter of a pregnancy book every Friday, and he/she won't care if the onesies in the dresser are brand-new or leftover from Big Brother. All that Baby #2 will need is love and caring, and we've got plenty of that to give!! And, I guess the name thing might be a big deal....!

15 week appt.

I had my 3rd OB appointment yesterday, and am happy to report that the baby looks wonderful! I've still been feeling some movement, but a peek inside via ultrasound is always reassuring (and fun!). He/She was laying down, knees propped up, and feet crossed--so cute! And, that little heartbeat makes my own heart melt!
I was reminded how much I like my doctor as she was operating the ultrasound machine, pointing out body parts and movement, when she suddenly said, "This is just so amazing!" And, she was right. Not only is it amazing that a tiny human is growing and developing perfectly right inside my tummy, but it's amazing too that we can actually see him/her! I, of course, was fascinated to see those itty bitty fingers and elbows and toes. But, I loved hearing the awe from a lady who has been doing this daily for probably at least 20 years. As much as we know that our own babies are miracles, it must be incredible to be the one who helps bring babies into the world every day. I'm sure she's seen her share of heartbreak throughout her career, but it must be overshadowed by oh, so much joy and wonder!
And, without any further ado, here is our little peanut! These are the three ultrasound pictures that I've had done so far--can you believe the growth in just a little over 2 months?! {Less than a month until we have our anatomy scan done and get to find out if we're having a boy or a girl (we hope!)}

Wow, so this is real...

I started feeling Baby #2 moving about 2 weeks ago. Like any early fetal movement, it wasn't strong or often. Honestly, I was shocked to feel him/her this early because I didn't feel Nate until I was about 20 weeks pregnant! Within the past week, I've felt movement daily, which is so exciting--and reassuring! I love feeling those tiny movements that make this baby so much more of a reality.
On Saturday evening, Eric and I were watching television before bed when I felt a real thump! It wasn't the "fluttery" or "bubble" feeling that I've been feeling, but it felt like a kick...probably more like a body-slam this early! I was surprised, but didn't think a whole lot about it. On Sunday morning, before we got out of bed, I felt the thumping again. When I put my hand on my stomach, I could feel the baby from the outside! He/She continued thundering around in there for probably a minute or two--long enough for Eric to feel several little thumps! We were both shocked because he wasn't able to feel Nate kicking until I was probably about 5 months pregnant. Since Sunday, I've only felt small internal movements again, and if Eric hadn't felt them, I would say that it was all in my head!
I love, love, LOVE feeling the baby move around inside my belly, but I feel like this is all happening so quickly, and so much earlier than it did with my first pregnancy. Here's to hoping that my body is just that much more in tune with pregnancy now, and not that I'm having a monster-sized baby this time!!

Big News!!

I haven't forgotten about this blog, I really haven't. But, I have been a little preoccupied recently (and, by "recently" I mean the past 12 weeks...). Not only have I been doing my usual toddler-chasing (hey, he can climb now too!), but I've also been sleeping approximately 15 hours/day and struggling to put any food on the table without feeling queasy. If you haven't heard already....
Eric and I are expecting Baby #2 in August!! We are sooo excited, and just a teensy bit terrified!
I'm 14 weeks pregnant, and I'm finally feeling normal again! This pregnancy has been a little more challenging than my first so far, but I'm optimistic that it's getting better. Since I've entered the 2nd trimester, I've been feeling lots better. And so, that means that I'm going to try to get back to the blog world! I've actually got quite a few post drafts saved that I didn't want to make public before we shared our pregnancy news, so those will be backdated and published soon. Hope everyone is doing well!!

Thoughts on #2.

Ever since I had Nathaniel, I've wondered how it would ever be possible to love another child as much/in the same way that I love him. I wasn't exactly worried, but I wondered. Now, it's different. I'm not going to try to convince you that I've already bonded with the gummy bear-sized baby in my belly like I have my Nate, but I do already love him/her. As soon as I found out that I was pregnant, the question of "how?" was replaced only with this thought: "I cannot wait to love another baby in the way that I love Nate!" Oh, I can't wait!!

Baby #2!

After a few months of trying to get pregnant again, I was shocked to see TWO little pink lines on the test today. I'd been absolutely positive that this was NOT our month, and I wasn't too happy about it either. (I'd already lamented the fact that this month was my last chance to be pregnant for Christmas, and I really, really wanted to be!) And so, I gave in and took a pregnancy test this morning. I didn't even look at it, and went off to fold laundry. About 10 minutes later, I returned to the bathroom to put away a load of towels. And, when I glanced over at the test, I saw two lines. TWO! I was shocked. I picked up that test with shaking hands and studied it closely--and then the waterworks started! Since Eric was at work, Nathaniel was the first to hear the big news! If you're curious about what a 16-month-old will do when you're crying in the middle of the living room floor and telling him that he's going to be a big brother, it's simple. He'll ride his rocking horse and sing a "song", in between fake sniffles to mock you!

Dramatic 9th Month.

     Throughout my pregnancy, I imagined what my baby's birth would be like a million times.  In my mind, I would probably go a little past my due date (this being my first baby), my water would break, I would labor at home for as long as possible, we would frantically rush to the hospital in the middle of the night, a nurse would put me in a wheelchair and race me to labor and delivery, where I would be checked and pronounced to be dilated at least 8 or 9 centimeters, and, within an hour or two, I would be pushing, when suddenly my perfect baby would make an entrance into the world!  Easy peasy, right? 
     I knew that birth doesn't always go as planned, but I figured I might as well psych myself up for a wonderful experience, rather than worry about the unknown.  I did know that I definitely wanted a few things: A) to begin labor on my own, B) to labor at home, C) as little medical intervention as possible {no medicine}, D) a vaginal birth.  In the end, I only got one of my four wishes, and you know what?  It was still the most amazing experience of my entire life.
     Although I wasn't aware of it, my carefree pregnancy was coming to a crashing halt when I went to my doctor's appointment on August 2.  My blood pressure was high, and my doctor immediately ordered a non-stress test (to see how the baby was handling life in the womb) and blood work (to check for pre-eclampsia).  Although the non-stress test came back showing a perfectly healthy baby, my labs were not so good.  I was admitted to the hospital overnight for a 24 hour urine analysis, and numerous non-stress tests and blood pressure checks.  Finally, after a long 24 hours, I was released to go home--with orders that I was to be on strict bed rest and a low sodium diet for the duration of my pregnancy. 
     Staying in bed, watching television, reading books, and relaxing--sounds wonderful, doesn't it?  Just what every pregnant woman wants?  Perhaps for a day or two....after that, not so much.  For me, bed rest was tough because there was still so much to be done before the baby arrived!  I was home all day, I felt perfectly fine--and I was not allowed to do anything except lay on the couch.  Ugh.  To make matters worse, after 24 hours of bed rest, we endured a huge thunderstorm that knocked out our electricity.  For three whole days.  Now I was on bed rest without air conditioning, without television, without radio, without ice cubes, without lights!  I read four novels in three days, while maintaining a perpetually bad mood.  According to my husband (who was actually allowed to leave the house!) our street was the only one within this half of the city still without power.  Encouraging, right?  By the time our power clicked back on, I cried (thank you, pregnancy hormones...). 

     I spent the next two weeks enjoying the numerous amenities available within my electricity-charged house--suddenly, bed rest wasn't so bad when I could enjoy a DVD and frozen yogurt, all with a side of air conditioning!  My husband spent the time that I was on bed rest, proving what an awesome and amazing husband/daddy he is.  He finished the entire nursery, put together all the rest of the baby gear, unpacked an entire dining room full of post-move boxes, cleaned out the basement, did laundry, and even cooked me suppers!  Despite my frustrations, I truly fell in love with him all over again during those long days.  He understood why I wanted to help, but he insisted that I follow the doctor's orders for the sake of our baby--and myself! 
     During my two weeks of bed rest (which felt like about two months), I did not leave the house--except to go to doctor's appointments, non-stress tests, and for more lab work every three days.  While my hands and arms were black and blue because of my "bad veins", I did become a pro at punching that little button for the non-stress tests.  And, with my doctor threatening a delivery every time I visited, my levels remained steady, and my baby continued to thrive.  I was not getting better, but I was not getting worse either.  I remained on bed rest, under close watch. 
     On Friday, August 13, after an early morning non-stress test, I received a phone call from my doctor.  She told me that she wanted to see me on Monday, and to bring my bags because I would probably not be leaving the hospital until the baby was born.  I was excited, but nervous.  Eric and I spent the weekend making sure that every single thing was ready for the baby--the nursery was finished, laundry was done, carpets were vacuumed, the refrigerator was stocked, and my bag was packed!
     We arrived at the doctor's office on Monday morning, ready for a baby!  After a blood pressure check, my doctor was surprised, and slightly confused, about why it was so low.  She wanted to know what I had been doing, and how my blood pressure could have dropped at this point!  I didn't have any answers, but I was glad to hear the good news!  Despite the sudden drop, my doctor did not want to take any chances--she scheduled me for a labor induction the next morning at 6 am.  While I was glad for one more night at home with my husband, I was a little disappointed that I was, indeed, leaving the hospital with a baby still inside of me!  We arrived home, and spent our last day as "just a couple" relaxing (everything was already done!), and we even had one last ice cream date that night! 

Pregnancy.

     On Christmas Day of 2009, I woke up feeling queasy and tired.  After a lazy morning of apple juice and gift opening, I told my husband that I was either pregnant, or had a touch of the stomach flu.  Again.  (I spent Christmas 2008 sick.) 
     Since I had been charting my fertility cycles for months, I knew that I was only 10 days past ovulation, which is a little early for a pregnancy test to be accurate, and I didn't really want the disappointment of a negative test, so I decided not to test for a few more days (my goal: I would take a pregnancy test on my birthday {5 days post-Christmas}). 
     We spent Christmas Day visiting family--during which I continued to feel ill; the house felt too hot, the smell of food was overwhelming, and everyone was just so loud!  By 7 pm, I could barely keep my eyes open for the ride home.  Obviously, I was sick.  When we arrived home, I decided that 5 days was far too long to wait, and decided to take a pregnancy test then and there.  The second pink line that showed up was only visible if I squinted and held the test just so.  I decided that it was negative.  But, as the next day passed, I began to doubt my decision.  By Sunday afternoon (12/27), I impatiently decided to take another test.  This time, there were definitely two pink lines!  I was in shock, and raced downstairs to make sure that Eric could see the second line too!  He could, although he didn't seem to quite comprehend the news. 
     Throughout the next few weeks, it began more and more apparent that I really was pregnant!  I took about 15 pregnancy tests (I had them, so I might as well make sure, right?), and they all showed me the two pink lines that I was so excited to see!  I called my OB and set up an appointment. 
     By the time my doctor's appointment came, I was 8 weeks pregnant.  To my surprise, she turned on the ultrasound machine and gave us our first peek at our little one.  We saw a nice, strong heartbeat, and I was in love!  At our 12 weeks appointment, we got to have another look at the baby, who was finally starting to look suspiciously like a real baby!  I was given a due date of September 4, 2010. 
     After our 12 week appointment, we shared the news of our pregnancy with everyone we knew!  Our families were thrilled, and we could not wait! 

     I loved pregnancy, I truly did.  I never experienced all of those nightmarish pregnancy stories that some women can tell as an effective form of birth control.  I only had "morning sickness" a total of three times (all in the evenings), although I did spend an entire month eating only popsicles after 4pm.  By the time that I began to feel my little one moving inside of me, I could not have been happier.  In April, we found out that A) we were having a boy, and B) that baby boy looked perfectly healthy in every way. 
     As we began collecting tiny blue onesies and reading baby name books, I could not imagine a better life.  My pregnancy was flying by without any complications, and it was wonderful.  Being pregnant made me feel amazing, beautiful, and confident.  Feeling my baby kicking and rolling within me, made me feel like a mother.