29 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update April 12, 2014

Thanks for the cute new shirt, Gracie!

How far along: 29 Weeks.  Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 15.25 inches, 2.5lbs. A butternut squash.

What developed this past week: Baby 2 is about to start growing by leaps and bounds during the next 3 months... this should begin limiting his range of movement as his space gets cramped. This probably also mean that my ribs are about to start getting kicked! :)  He's putting on white fat (vs brown fat that helps regulate temperature) which serves to plump him up! 

Weight Gain: 24 lbs. I don't pretend to understand what's going on with my weight! One week, I gain nothing, the next I gain 3 lbs! What?! 

Maternity clothes: All maternity and Caleb's shirts to sleep in.

Gender: A little boy.

Movement: Still no hiccups!!! Moving all the time... in all corners of his world. 

Sleep/Symptoms: Braxton Hicks every day, usually a couple times. Also I've been getting the pinch in my my back/hips like I used to get (back in 2010) and am thinking I may need to make a trip to the chiropractor to put my hips and lower spine back in alignment. It comes and goes though so I'm waiting until there's no denying the need.  If I go to the chiropractor, the dentist suggested I ask him if there's anything I can do about my jaw cracking (dentist said is not tooth related). It doesn't ache anymore, but the right side cracks open multiple times a day. Maybe it's from all my joints relaxing?? I don't know... 

I've had a few migraines the past couple weeks, seemingly brought on by nothing. I've read that women get increased headaches in the 3rd trimester due to increased hormones, so maybe that's it?? I also started wearing my old glasses during work (while staring at a computer screen), and that seemed to help the strain in my eyes/forehead. 

What I miss: These past couple weeks have been really busy.. so I currently miss just sitting still on the couch with my husband watching our shows and catching up after Bryson goes to bed. Not really pregnancy related, though I could point out that if I wasn't pregnant, maybe we would have watched a few more shows... at 10pm, when I'm currently usually sleeping. lol

Cravings: Kraft Mac n cheese! I've wanted it and had it a few days in a row this week. I've also really been enjoying a new found granola cereal from Quaker. Not a craving, but it IS good! Get to your store for some Real Medleys, people! :) 

Best moment this week: My 29 week doctor appointment. Baby's heart beat was 138 and I measured on track at about 29 weeks. I told Dr V how I've been having the burning/aching/pain in my ribs already (like I had with Bryson) but still can't figure out what it is... She knew what it was! After not being able to come up with a plausible reason for it for the past year and a half (since it began happening with B), I was thrilled to have an answer, even though I can't do anything about it. Apparently, the round ligament pain pregnant women get at the bottom of the uterus can also happen at the top! The ligament goes all the way around the uterus, so when I sit forward/up, that ligament (near my rib cage), is fighting to hold the baby in! No wonder it feels like muscle burning - IT IS! 

Dr V. also told me something else I didn't know - women who have hematomas in their pregnancy often have lower birth weight babies. I didn't really get details about why that is, but she said at my next sonogram, she's going to have Laura measure the baby and make sure that he's growing appropriately in comparison to the last scan.  I did notice at each of my scans that the baby is 2-3 days smaller than what I know the gestational age to be... but it hasn't worried me at all. What is 2-3 days when we're talking average measurements here?? I only noticed because this baby has been around 45th percentile and Bryson was around 65th!  No big deal. I've measured on track at every appointment, so I'm glad they are being diligent but I doubt it will be an issue. Honestly, I won't be disappointed if I don't have to birth another 9-pound baby! :) Bring on a normal 7-pounder!! Seems like it'd be easy! lol

SO my next ultrasound is in 2 weeks (the 22nd), and Laura will check both the baby's size AND the location of the placenta. We're praying that it has moved out of the way so we don't have to schedule a c-section or worry about bleeding. I can't WAIT to know!

Bryson Update: This weekend we finally had nice enough weather to enjoy some time outside... B LOVES it and doesn't want to come in... Here are a few pics:

B's first time at the bowling alley... 

This kid is so strong, he picked up a 10-12 lb ball! We had to rush to put a hand under it to make sure it didn't fall on his toes... no worries - he HAD it! 

Another first this weekend - STICKER FUN! Not sure why it's taken me this long to get stickers out, but we finally made a sticker page this weekend and he had fun sitting in a booster seat at the dining room table!! My big boy!

And for fun, Bryson tried on Daddy's hat and football jersey and looked SO cute :) He surely is his daddy's boy!

sideways/backward was his own doing - can't teach style that cool ;)

For fun - anyone who wants to see a gratuitous video of this kid throwing a ball with his daddy FOREVER, both righty and lefty, click the link below :)

At the end, he shows his sense of humor and urge to entertain us and hits himself in the head with the tennis ball to make us laugh... goofball!

28 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update April 5, 2014

Totally late pics (28w5d) - so I settled for bathroom pictures over NO picture...

How far along: 28 Weeks!  Due June 28, 2014. HELLO THIRD TRIMESTER!

Size of baby: 14.8 inches, 2.25lbs. A Chinese cabbage.

What developed this past week: Baby has likely developed a more regular sleep schedule in 20 to 30 minute intervals. 

I'm not sure about the intervals, but I definitely feel him moving more late in the evening and often randomly throughout the day when I'm at work. 

Weight Gain: 21 pounds. And holding :)

Maternity clothes: All maternity and Caleb's shirts to sleep in.

Gender: A sweet boy.

Movement: Now feeling him on both sides at the same time. Or top and bottom. Or top and side, etc... He's getting big! Unfortunately, he's not had hiccups yet!!! Come on kid! 

Sleep/Symptoms: Still getting enough sleep in total, just wake up to roll over usually.  No big deal. 

In bigger symptom news, I started getting Braxton Hicks contractions this week! First one was on April Fool's Day. My coworker came in my office to tell me it was 72 degrees and I got so excited! We went to the elevator to take a short trip outside, and while I was getting in the elevator, I got the contraction! I got another 1-2 the next day and have had 1-3 a day since then probably. They aren't bad, but definitely happening. One time I was standing in my living room, another time I was sitting in my boss's office... no rhyme or reason it seems. 

What I miss: Having more energy. It drives me crazy when my house gets to be a mess because I don't have any energy left by the time Bryson goes to bed to do anything about it.... Wonderfully, this week my mom was so gracious and got a ton of cleaning done for me while Bryson took naps! She's a saint! :) 

Cravings: Seems I'm not a "craving" person while pregnant...

Best moment this week: Probably getting the contractions - just because it's exciting! And also coming home to a cleaned up house!! I literally cry every time my mom does that for me... I'm so tired and overwhelmed by the mess that it makes my week (month?!) to have help and be able to rest knowing things are done!! :) Sounds pathetic, I know... 

Bryson Update: Bryson now LOVES the song "I'm in the Lord's Army" and as soon as I tell him we're going to show someone his new favorite song, he knows what I mean and starts marching! :) The best part though is he knows when to say "Yes, Sir!" and has the cutest high pitched (I think copying me - and I'm apparently super obnoxious) voice when he says it. He doesn't always do the accompanying salute, but practically slaps his head when he does do it! haha
He also is in love with the book, "My Little Train" (one of the Dolly Parton books that come in the mail) and asks to read it a hundred times a day (my acting out pulling the train whistle). Just this week he learned to say "whoo whoo!!" as he does the action. It is THE CUTEST train noise I've ever heard.
Yesterday he had his "Jesus Loves Me" book in his crib with him and when he was awake and playing while I got ready in the morning, all I heard over the monitor my WHOLE shower was that song playing OVER and OVER as he'd press the button. He loves that song!
Two things Bryson has learned to do over the past couple weeks are to blow (air) and to make a "pfht" noise with his lips. And this performer LOVES to entertain us! Even after doing it for a few minutes and laughing so hard, he kept going!

25-27 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update March 15, 2014

I'm playing catch up here... here's a quick pic and note about each of the weeks I've missed.

How far along: 25 Weeks.  Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 13.5 inches, 1.5 lbs. A rutabaga.

What developed this past week: Body parts are becoming more proportional to each other. Baby fat is filling in baby's wrinkled skin and his hair is growing and developing color and texture.

Uterus is now the size of a soccer ball! 

 Pregnancy Update March 22, 2014 

How far along: 26 Weeks.  Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 14 inches, 1.75 lbs. A hothouse cucumber.

What developed this past week: Baby's lungs and brain are much more developed. He can probably detect light and dark, and can also hear outside noises. 

Pregnancy Update March 29, 2014

How far along: 27 Weeks.  Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 14.5 inches, 2 lbs. A cauliflower.

What developed this past week: This week baby looks like a thinner, redder, more wrinkled version of what he will look like at birth. His immune system is continuing to mature, as are his lungs which are still practicing breathing amniotic fluid.

What happened this week: We had a doctor appt on Thursday, March 27th for all the normal stuff, plus the gestational diabetes test. I'm happy to report that the sugar drink doesn't bother me at all and the test came back fine. They also checked my iron from that blood draw and said that it is slightly low (as it was with Bryson), so to begin taking iron supplements.  Baby's heart rate was in the 140's and he measured on track at 26 weeks.

My appt this time was with Dr V (last appt was with Dr W). I wanted to asked Dr V if she agreed with Dr W's thinking that we can check the placenta situation at the very end, and not anytime before then (unless there's bleeding). BUT before I could even ask her, she said that based on my last sono, she wants to check it again around 32 weeks, then again at the end (38ish weeks) to determine final answer on c-section. I know there is nothing I can do to MOVE the placenta, but I'd like to get an update before the final day... give me some time to mentally prepare. Dr V actually used those same words when saying we'll do a 32 week sono - "so you can mentally prepare if it's not moving". I'm glad she realizes that it's not just an every day thing for people to hear they may have a c-section and it IS a big deal (at least to some of us!) though the doctor has performed hundreds.

How I'm feeling: I'm sleeping well off and on... but I always wake up with a stiff back that needs to be stretched out/popped. My belly is getting heavy enough that when I sleep on my side without a wedge pillow propping it, my round ligament aches from trying to hold up this heavy boy! Unfortunately, I've tried two wedge pillows and both were awful (BRU and Boppy brand). So I've been using a throw pillow and debating getting out my snoogle. In other back news, I definitely hurt more quickly and do my best to not bend over for any reason (hard with a kid who wants picked up and who has tons of toys on the floor!). 

I've started getting more calf cramps, but I can usually get them worked out before they are too bad. 

The biggest "problem" I have during my pregnancies has been a horrible burning/aching pain in my ribs. I can't remember exactly when it started with Bryson, but it started around 25 weeks or so with this little boy... on both sides this time, though still worse on the right. I'm not sure what the pain actually is, but I think it's to do with all my organs being shoved into my ribs. It almost feels like severe muscle pain (like you get from working out), but it's in my ribs (under bra line) and is worse when I sit a lot or lean forward. I'm not looking forward to it getting worse and more consistent... gotta have some motivation to push the kid out ;) lol

Bryson Update: Bryson FINALLY got another hair cut on Saturday the 29th. This kid acts like we're trying to cut his head off, not his hair... It's not even that he's scared. He just doesn't want us to hold him still. We have to pin his head against my chest while she cuts around his ears and neck, and he has crocodile tears... oh brother. lol 

I couldn't get great pictures because Bryson doesn't stand still, but here are a couple:

Picking up the second ball... of course :)

For fun - here's a before picture. WITH STATIC!

And to compare to what he looked like 5 months ago when his hair would stand on end WITHOUT static...

He's too cute!

23 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update March 1, 2014

This was at 22w2d - since I missed updating a week while on vacation.

Bryson decided it would be a good time to walk back and forth between my legs many times!

Back to the land of snow and ice & long sleeves and sweaters!

23w3d 3-3-14

How far along: 23 Weeks!  Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 11.5 inches, 1.1lbs. A large mango.

What developed this past week: Baby is now more proportioned from head size to body and is moving all the time. Braxton Hicks contractions could start at any time. 

Weight Gain: 16.8 pounds. So I thought I'd do better this week... and I did/do eat a LOT of fruit and veggies... but unfortunately, while on vacation in Florida, there was plenty of candy and ice cream to be had! I blame my Aunt and Uncle for having it around vs. myself for the lack of self-control! :) 

Maternity clothes: Only the big hoodies and draw string pants still fit me. Pretty soon it'll be only maternity or Caleb's shirts!

Gender: A boy with no name! :(

Movement: Baby 2 moves a lot, but I especially notice it in the evenings when I'm finally sitting still. I told this to Caleb a few days ago, and he said that I said that exact same thing when I was pregnant with Bryson. The fun part is that others can feel him often too! Caleb asked if he was playing soccer in there last time he was feeling B2 go crazy... ironic because I remember him asking that about Bryson too! 

Sleep/Symptoms: Not so good recently. I wake up often and can't always go back to sleep right away. I'm not terribly uncomfortable, I'm not far enough yet to blame a big belly, and I'm not even peeing in the middle of the night! Not sure what the problem is. 

I still have crazy dreams and once Caleb's alarm goes off at 6:30, I have a really hard time going back to sleep, though I don't have to get up until 7-7:30! I hate that I waste the time tossing and turning and just about fall asleep when my alarm goes off! A few times I just get up, but I'd really rather get the sleep I know I need!

What I miss: I'm getting to the point where I can't sleep on my belly! I can sometimes find a way to prop myself just right, but mostly, I've stopped trying! I'm gonna miss the belly sleeping!!

Cravings: Nothing specific.

Best moment this week: Going on vacation for a week with Bryson and my Mom and Grandma! So much fun in the sun and pool!!!  Will put a couple pictures in another post for us to remember our vacation by! :)

I'm also looking forward to my doctor appoint on Monday (3rd) to see my little guy again and to find out what's going on with my placenta! I'm hoping it will have moved north and shows hope of getting out of the way for a natural delivery!

Bryson's 15 month appointment is on Wednesday, the 5th, and we're not looking forward to the shots, but definitely are excited to see how he's doing otherwise!

Bryson Update: Bryson is learning a million things each day! He now can identify tons of animals (he'll point to the correct animal that I ask him to show me when we read his animal books) and many of his body parts! He knows: Hair, ears, eyes, cheeks, tongue, belly, fingers, knees, toes...
He's OBSESSED with his daddy! Every day on vacation, the first thing he would do when he saw my phone was to pick it up and say, "dada??" and then blabber on with the phone between his shoulder and ear! TOO FUNNY!!!! Now that we're home, each morning (and many more times throughout the day), when I get him out of bed, he puts his little hand out in a questioning way and asks, "dada?" So then I tell him Daddy's at work already. This week, he asked for Dada, then pointed to the pictures on his wall and wanted to point out Dada on EVERY ONE OF THEM, more than once. lol I'm glad he's so in love!

21 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update February 15, 2014

How far along: 21 Weeks!  Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 10.5 inches, 12.7oz. A banana. If you look back to last week, that's quite the growth in length!! 4 inches! Big week for this guy!

What developed this past week: Baby 2 is now swallowing small amounts of amniotic fluid and practicing his digestive skills along with getting a small taste of the foods I'm eating (You're welcome, baby, for the food described in the next paragraph :) I wish I could say it was totally selfless and I did it all for you lol). He's also breathing in the fluid and getting his lungs ready for life on the outside. Speaking of - I saw this outfit online and was tempted to buy it lol!

 

Though I didn't get that one, THIS one I could not pass up! :) I tried getting it in both boy's sizes, but they were out of Bryson's size.

Weight Gain: 14.4 pounds. This was a rough week - in which my husband bought me not one, but TWO, boxes of nerds (he knows my love language)... and for himself (aka to share) a 3-lb bag of peanut m&ms. If that wasn't enough, my mom spoiled me with BK, Tim Hortons, or Co Fair breakfasts multiple times this week! And I knew better than allowing cases of soda in our house - we've been drinking them with lunch/dinner far too often on top of having Chipotle and Hibachi and a McD's Shamrock Shake. There - I admitted to all my sins. Next week I'll repent and do better. The truth will set me free? :)

Maternity clothes: My Old Navy/Gap order came this week, so today I'm wearing some new jeans (that actually fit) and a nice warm work-appropriate sweater. Got a couple turtlenecks that were on sale for $6 too! Score :) I think I should be more than set once my maternity leggings get here. 

Gender: #truth
 

Movement: Baby seems to be moving more recently. Not as sporadically as he used to, I think. Because of that, I was able to call my coworker in to feel him moving! She was the first one, other than Caleb, to feel him. He kicked her 5-10 times in a row within the span of a minute! I can feel him consistently moving now that he's big enough that he's often up against my skin where others can feel him too. I guess he did grow 4 inches! :)

I'm interested to see how Bryson reacts if I can get his little hand to feel his brother moving!! Now that my belly is getting bigger, and it's harder to hold B normally, I mention his brother to him more often... so it'll be interesting to see when it actually sinks in that there's a baby in there!   

Sleep/Symptoms: As well as can be expected. I start waking up probably around 4-5am and turn over and fall back asleep. Again and again. Luckily, I can still fall back to sleep, but I'd really rather just stay asleep! The good news is that my belly isn't heavy enough to make it a production to roll over yet... and I can still sleep on my stomach (with my hips turned a little). I can't believe it!

Once the baby gets a little bigger (and higher), I'll have to break out the wedge to prop up my belly and eventually... the body pillow. I try to hold off as long as I can on that one - it seems to take up so much space! It's too much to have the equivalent of 3 people in a queen size bed! 

As far as new symptoms go, I started getting cramps in my calves every once in awhile. Has only happened a couple times, but it is not fun! Especially if I wake up to that pain in the middle of the night. Talk about a rude awakening!

I got my blood count results back. Hemoglobin was 12.2 and hematocrit was 36.6 - I have no idea what those number mean (or what they should be), other than I am OK and the dizziness was not caused by low iron.

What I miss: The sun! But I'm remedying that next week!! YAYYY! :)

Cravings: I think I've eaten so much this week that I didn't even leave room for a craving to sneak up! haha ridiculous...

Best moment this week: Someone else feeling B2 moving! And booking a trip to Sarasota with my mom and grandma to visit my aunt & uncle!! We are THRILLED to get a break from the snow and cold! Unfortunately, Caleb can't come with us... but B and I will live it up in the pool for sure! A week in Florida? Don't mind if I do!

Bryson Update: This week we bought Bryson one of his favorite things in the world... a vacuum cleaner! LOL He seriously FREAKS OUT when I don't let him help me vacuum, or when I take it away from him when I do let him help... So I first remedied that situation by letting him sweep all our wood floors with our electric broom while I use the Dyson on the carpets. And though he does a fantastic job, and he really is sweeping, we decided we'd get him a toy vacuum that he can push around all day if he wants (while saying "vroom vroom") :) Happy Valentine's Day to him! ha!
He started by vacuuming the whole store! The workers trying to close the store were really happy for the help! :)

Then we went home, and though he was supposed to be putting his pajamas on, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep without cleaning our carpets first... :)

And, because he's a manly man, he carried around his other favorite item while vacuuming:

Looks like we're doing something right so far! So well-rounded...He's going to make his wife VERY happy one day! haha

That covers two of his top 3 favorite things to do (vacuum & play ball)... his third favorite thing is to read! He gets books out all day long... While we were in the store, he pulled out a science experiment book and read up!

"Who needs bright colors and pictures?? I'm a child genius!" ;)

And on Valentine's Day.... how fitting!

20 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update February 8, 2014

Bryson did not want to be left out

So he smiled nicely :)

20w3d 2-10-14

Will not be taking the picture in this shadowy spot again

How far along: 20 Weeks! Half way already. Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 6.5 inches, 10.6oz. A small cantaloupe.

What developed this past week: Baby 2 is starting to use his digestive system and produce meconium. Lovely. His skin is being covered in vernix to protect him from becoming chapped or scratched.

Weight Gain: 13 pounds

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity. Some shirts are still long enough to cover this belly, but most work-appropriate ones aren't. Unfortunately I was big pregnant in the summer/fall with Bryson, so most of my maternity shirts are not suitable for this below freezing winter we've been having. I've purchased a couple more sweaters to get me through because I can't stand the thought of wearing a 3/4 sleeve shirt every day {shiver}.

Gender: Another boy! :) 

Movement: Baby moves all the time. Baby isn't big enough to be sharp/painful, but he lets me know he's there for sure! Sometimes it almost tickles and I have to put my hand on my stomach (or where the feeling was) to "relieve" the sensation. Weirdest sensation of baby movement has always been down low - Bi.Zarre. to feel something moving behind your pelvic bone...  The baby is now about to my belly button, so I'm starting to feel more movement up higher sometimes too. 

Sleep: I sleep pretty well as far as being comfortable goes. What makes me feel less well rested is actually the overactive dreaming I do! I can't believe how often I have crazy dreams. It's got to be at least 5 of 7 nights (though I have a hard time remembering when the last dreamless night was). I even wake up to move or roll over only to go back to the same dream when I fall asleep again. I don't know where my brain gets this nonsense....

I haven't broken out the body pillow yet. I can still be comfortable with a throw pillow between my knees (when I'm on my side) and hugging another throw pillow in order to keep my "top" shoulder from slumping forward too much and causing back pain. I also still can sleep in any position - back, stomach, or sides. As long as I put a knee up so that my lower abdomen (where the baby is) is not flat on the bed, I actually still love to sleep on my stomach. Going to miss that when it's gone... Living it up now! :)

What I miss: Nothing yet.

Cravings: Same as last pregnancy - not really any cravings, but when someone talks about a certain food, or I see a commercial/picture of something, I usually can't get it out of my head until I have some. Even if I have to wait weeks (which I've done... ahem, donuts!). Otherwise, this pregnancy I feel like I'm wanting and eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, and not so many sweets. I still love my can of coke that I began craving in my 3rd trimester with Bryson. 

Best moment this week: This has been a pretty low key week since Bryson is fighting croup and a double ear infection, so I'd have to say that shopping online and buying a few cute outfits from Baby Gap (thank you, gap cash!) was a highlight! Caleb is going to die when he sees that I bought our son colored jeans! LOL Seriously - stylin'...

Bryson Update: He is starting to say a few words on command. Mama, Dada, WOAH!, and Ba[ll]. He also LOVES to plug his nose when we say "P!U!" and pretend to pull the horn on a train when we say "choo choo!"  He is obsessed with any kind of ball.... football, basketball, soccer, golf, plastic, nerf, whatever! And he never has less than 2 in his hands at one time. One is never enough!
He also LOVES to read. He will bring book after book to us to read and usually sits and listens to all of them! Even if he's upset and crying about something, if I suggest reading a book he immediately stops crying and goes to pick a book! The other thing that keeps him occupied and happy is singing. He loves it and usually joins in - with singing, clapping, dancing, etc... he's all about music! Makes him happy, just like it makes me! The ONE good thing he got from me. Speaking of what he got from me - he's showing his stubborn side and forming opinions. Sometimes it's a battle, but we're trying to get through this testing and setting boundaries age with as much grace as possible (literally and figuratively). Overall, he's very well behaved - listens to our instruction, signs please and thank you to ask nicely for things, signs "I love you" and blows kisses... he's an angel! :)

19 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update February 1, 2014

18w4d 1-28-14

How far along: 19 Weeks

Size of baby: 6 inches, 8.5oz. An heirloom tomato.

What developed this past week: Baby 2's sense are developing! Also, millions of motor neurons are continuing to develop in his brain allowing more controlled and conscious movement.

Weight Gain: 11.4 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Very few non-maternity at this point... baby is growing, growing, growing!

Gender: He's a boy! :) 

Movement: Baby moves all the time. I love it. I rarely get to feel him from the outside with my hand, as he decides to stop moving once I'm "ready" for him. Eventually he'll get less sporadic and I'll enjoy feeling him and sharing that fun with others.

Sleep: Sleeping well! Needing lots of it. At least one or two nights a week, I "catch up" and get about 10 hours of sleep. That's to catch up from my 7-8 hour nights. Pathetic, I know... :)

What I miss: Nothing.

Cravings: Nothing specific. Certain things good at certain times. No major aversions either.

Best moment this week: Caleb getting to feel Baby 2 move for the first time! He felt a body roll, not even just a kick. I can't believe how fast this is going! He's already 19 weeks and moving for others to feel! WOW!!! Love it!

At my monthly doctor appointment this week, I was measuring on track and baby's heart rate was excellent. I told my doctor about a few bouts of dizziness I've had and she had me get a blood drawer to check my blood count. I think it may be a fluke that I was dizzy in the middle of the day while sitting (usually its just in the mornings while standing), but she wants to make sure my iron is sufficient. Haven't heard yet the results.

The doctor also told me that I have a "low lying placenta". Basically my placenta is not up above the baby as it should be, it's down the side, or a little under the baby, closer to my cervix. At this point, I just need to be careful not to lift heavy things and to take it easy while we wait to see if the placenta "migrates" north as my uterus grows. If not, there are other complications possible, not the least of which is early delivery and/or c-section. I'm praying against all of that! Until then, the silver lining is that I get to see my sweet boy in 4 weeks so we can keep an eye on where the placenta is located. 

Belly Pic Make-up

I'm starting to feel bad for this child - s/he already is experiencing the 2nd child syndrome in many ways.
One of the things this child will not have (though s/he may not ever care, I do!) are weekly pictures of him/her growing in my belly.
Caleb and I are working to remedy that, but until then, all I have is a few pictures I took of myself in the bathroom at work. Gotta love a good bathroom selfie! Lol

To catch us up, I started showing around 8-9 weeks. By 11-12 weeks, I could no longer button my work pants. It was quite the task trying to keep the bump a secret!  Here's what I looked like at 13 weeks when I finally got to tell my coworkers and stop trying to hide it!

December 19, 2013 12w6d

2 weeks later, you can tell my shirt is not maternity, as it is coming up shorter in the front. Classy.

January 7, 2014 15w4d

And another 2 weeks later, I have finally broken out the maternity clothes! I actually did try to do that around 16 weeks, but none of my old pants fit me because I lost more weight than I gained after Bryson! So I had to wait for a shipment from my sister and a shipment from The Gap to come in and save me!

January 20, 2014 17w2d

In case anyone is wondering, you do start showing earlier the second time... Check out this 15 week belly with pregnancy #1. YIKES!