22 weeks!

Wow, it just seems like time is flying by, its weird to think in just 4 months we will have our little girl to hold! Now I can't wait, but at the same time, she can stay put, safe and sound in there for now, it seems like there is still so much to do. But lately she has been quite active, more so than what I can remember with Daniel, and it seems its always at the times when I'm trying to nap, or go to bed, but I love the fact that now I can feel her more through the day, and not just when I'm laying down. But since my ultrasound nothing really new has happened, just the usual pregnancy stuff, the heartburn, the leg cramps, getting up every 2 hours through the night to use the bathroom, and it seems like no matter what I'm always hungry, but lucky for me I am actually craving healthy foods, all I want is fruit and yogurt, I could eat it all day, plus I don't know what it is but my face has even started breaking out, and I usually never have this problem, even with Daniel, but you always hear people say that when your carrying a girl they steal there moms look, or something like that, its probably not true, but I can still use the "its because I'm pregnant excuse" right?? Well things have been really smooth so far, and I'm hoping they stay that way, even with being so sick in the begining, I'm loving this pregnancy, and look forward to the coming weeks!

Its a GIRL!

So today I had my 20 week ultrasound, and everything went very smoothly! And we are having a healthy baby girl! We are also still on track and everything measured to be right on track, so no change to my due date! But to start off with I loved the person who did my ultrasound, she was very sweet, very professional and most of all took everything very seriously and made sure we did'nt leave out anything. She started with the babies head and looked at the brain and checked the size and was very pleased with how things looked. Next we went on to the spine, which I was a little scared at that point, but it was only within a few moments I heard her say everything looks very good and just as it should, she took quite a few pictures of the spine and was very pleased with what she saw, all the way from the top to the bottom. Then we moved onto the organs, and checked to make sure everything was there(and it was), we saw the bladder the kidneys, the stomach, and the heart. She also took quite a few pictures of the heart and checked to make sure things were working as they should, checked the 4 chambers and all the parts of the heart, the heart was beating at about 148 bpm. Then we moved on to check for the gender of the baby, and she was being a stubborn little one(already like her mother) for awhile she had her foot in the way and we could'nt get a clear picture, then as soon as she moved her foot away she put her hand right in the way, so once again we couldn't get a clear picture, but then finally after a little poking at my belly we got her to move and got a nice clean shot. Yep its a girl alright! So I must say after this visit and being able to see the baby and make sure things were progressing the way they should, I felt a whole lot better. So this visit was once again a success!

Double Stroller

So its not really a dilema but it could be, well...not really I'm just not sure what I want. Considering the fact that Daniel is not walking yet, and I'm really not sure if he will be by the time the baby comes. And even if he is, he's probably not going to be a pro at it. So I'm in the need of a double stroller, but the problem I'm coming across is I need one that will fit in our sedan, we have a Hyundai Elantra, and I need one that will accomadate a newborn and a 2 1/2 year old. So if anyone out there knows of any good ones, or can suggest anything, that would be very helpful. I have loved our graco quattro single and chicco umbrella stroller, but I just don't know if the graco double would fit in our trunk(plus it just looks so big and bulky). And I saw the Chicco double stroller, but I really don't know how well a newborn would sit in it. So any of you pro mommies out there.....I need help!

VBAC vs. C-section

So as I'm approaching my 20 weeks I realized time is going by faster than I thought. And it seems at every apt I have the doctors ask me if I have made my decision on whether or not I want to try for a VBAC(vaginal birth after c-section) or have a scheduled c-section. And it seems I just can't figure out what to do, at first I thought I would just do the c-section, but after talking to my doctors about it, i'm confused on what to do. They think I would be a great candidate for a VBAC considering the reasons I had to have a c-section with Daniel. There was no real medical reason on my part that I couldn't handle a normal delivery, it was pretty much all Daniel, and after 23 hours of labor and no Daniel I was ok with them doing a c-section. So now as time keeps getting closer and closer I gets more and more confused on what to do. So if anyone has any advice or know anyone who has gone through this, please.....I would love your input.

oh...the joys of pregnancy

Leg cramps, heartburn, trouble sleeping,and on top of that waking up to go to the bathroom every 2 hours, cravings, mood swings, and the the feeling that you have totally lost your mind, and I could go on, but it seems for me in just this last week or so they have all come on full strenth! No warning, no easing into it, just bam. But I guess these are one of the many joys of being pregnant, or so I'm told, but I guess the end result of having that beautiful baby to hold, makes it all worth it. Right? I'm here looking at Daniel and I would have to say the answer is YES, I just have to keep in mind these annoying little things will in time go away, or at least most of them(we are woman). But believe me I have to tell myself that several times a day. But I do look forward to that day when I can go grocery shopping and not have to use the restroom (twice).
(and did you notice the time on my post, yes its 5 a.m. I woke up starving this morning and couldn't go back to sleep!)

A little bit of relief

First off, I know the triple screen test they do is not a diagnostic test, its mainly to screen for abnormalities and other birth defects, but for me it was a huge relief . This time I decided to take the triple screen test, considering I have a child with spina bifida I thought it might be a good idea, so when I saw I had a voice mail from my doctors office saying they had my test results back my heart started pounding, Now I know there can be a lot of false positive results and there is really no guarantee to this test, its mainly used to screen you for these birth defects to know if you are at risk and need further testing, but when I called the doctor back and I heard those words, your tests are "negative" I had an overwhelming amount emotion come over me. Its just nice to not have to worry about more test and doctors telling me they aren't sure but we think it could be this, because it seemed with the Daniel I got the run around with so many doctors, I was being told one week this was wrong, then another week that this isn't right and so on, so its nice to for once have a test done and be done with it, and to have it actually come back normal. At least for now, Now the real test will be when we have our ultrasound in 3 weeks and hopefully we will have more good news, but for now just having a "negative" result on a screening test is fine by me.

I had my 16 week doctors apt today, and just as I was hoping all is well. I was amazed at how fast he found the heartbeat, it seemed like the second he put the dopler on my tummy it was there. But still a good strong heartbeat, which is always a relief. The only downside of the apt was having to get my blood drawn, i'm just not a fan of needles and my veins kept moving around, but finally on the third try we got it(now I look like a addict with all these needle marks, ha ha) but it was a sweet simple and quick visit, which was nice because having Daniel with me there by myself isn't always easy, but he just sat in the chair and watch intently. Plus these last couple of weeks I have thought I have felt the baby, but I wasn't sure until last night, I was laying in bed and all of sudden I felt it, and I knew instantly what it was, Jason at first was like its not just gas is it? But me being more aware of my body, answered no, believe me I know the difference. This is when the pregnancy has become more of a reality to me, I'm no longer just gaining weight and losing my shape, I'm feeling and looking pregnant now and feeling it!

Boy or Girl???

So we still won't find out for about 4 weeks, but I always have fun trying to guess if it'll be a boy or girl so as Daniel was napping today I was just surfing the internet looking at old wives tales about predicting if it'll be a boy or girl and here is what I found out. According to the web i'll be having a girl and here is why.

*Its a girl if....

*You had morning sickness early in pregnancy
*Your baby's heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute
*You are carrying the weight in your hips and rear
*Your left breast is larger than your right breast
*Your hair develops red highlights
*You are carrying high
*Your belly looks like a watermelon
*You are craving sweets
*You are craving fruit
*You crave orange juice
*You don't look quite as good as normal during pregnancy
*You are moodier than usual during pregnancy
*Your face breaks out more than usual
*You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread
*Your breasts have really blossomed!
*Your pillow faces south when you sleep
*Your urine is a dull yellow color
*You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side
*You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and *the sum is an odd number

and so far 15 of them fit me

reasons it won't be a boy according to this chart

*Its a boy if....

*You didn't experience morning sickness in early pregnancy
*Your baby's heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute
*You are carrying the extra weight out front
*Your belly looks like a basketball
*Your areolas have darkened considerably
*You are carrying low
*You are craving salty or sour foods
*You are craving protein -- meats and cheese
*Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy
*The hair on your legs has grown faster during pregnancy
*Your hands are very dry
*Your pillow faces north when you sleep
*Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you
*Pregnancy has you looking better than ever
*Your urine is bright yellow in color
*Your nose is spreading
*You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles
*You are having headaches
*You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and *the sum is an even number

and so far only 4 of them fit me

So I guess only time will tell, but either way I will be happy with a boy or girl, its just fun to guess and see if any of these "old wives tales" are true.

2nd Trimester! Wahoo!

So we finally hit it, my second trimester. So lets see if all those books, and doctors and websites are right. Will this be the most comfortable time? Will the nausea really ever go away? Will I really be more energetic? We will just have to see. So far....its not looking so good, but then again its only been 1 day...so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. But I am glad to finally being to this point in my pregnancy, now when I tell people I'm pregnant, it doesn't feel like forever away(when in reality it is, it just sounds better being in your 2nd trimester) but time does seem to be flying by. It seems like it was just yesterday we found out we were prego again. Other than being nauseous on and off and being annoyed about nothing fitting, and not fitting in my maternity clothes yet either, things seems to be going really well, and this last week the cravings started.....and not good ones either, and what I mean is, I crave anything and everything that is unhealthy, or at least things I probably shouldn't indulge in, but of course I use the I'm pregnant excuse and indulge! Now normally I am not a doughnut eater, not a fan really at all, but the other day while Jason was at work he mentioned to me that he had grabbed some donuts on his way to work, and I don't know what it was but all of sudden I was craving them, within a few hours I was at the grocery store stocking up. Luckily I had some self control and didn't eat the whole box, but it was tempting. I just hope this isn't how the rest of my pregnancy is, craving only sweets. But only time will tell. Each day gets more and more interesting.

one of those days....

so today is one of those days where I just feel......bloated and fat. although this pregnancy seems to be going more smoothly and it feels more like i'm pregnant, I just really don't like this stage, you know where your clothes don't fit, but you don't look pregnant, but you try and wear maternity clothes and you just feel funny, but you try and wear your "normal" clothes and those just look even worse. but even with all that I gave in and decided I would rather be comfortable and pulled out the maternity clothes. so good-bye regular clothes and hello maternity, one of the upsides of this is I get to buy all new maternity clothes, considering i'm about 22 lbs less than what I was when I got pregnant with Daniel, so needless to say none of those are really going to work for me. so i get to do what I love.....SHOP! so just thinking about that put me in a better mood already, oh the little things that make me happy. well anyways, i just needed to vent for a little bit, and hopefully soon i'll finally fill out some of these clothes so I can feel somewhat attractive.(I don't want this to come across that i'm some vain person, but I think every women wants to feel attractive while they are pregnant)

The sound of relief!

So today I had my 12 week appointment, actually i'm about 12 weeks 5 days, but it was a sound of relief when the doctor picked up the heartbeat, it was very strong and in the 150's. The first 12 weeks are always the toughest, because anything can happen, but as soon as they picked up the heartbeat I was just relieved, like a weight was lifted off me. They were a little worried about my weight because since my 8 week appointment I had actually lost about 8 lbs, but I reassured them that I am eating, but due to those brief weeks of being so nauseous and not being able to eat, it took more of a toll on my body than I imagined, but luckily I am able to eat now and have gained a little weight back from the total amount I lost, so now I just have to focus on eating healthy, and make sure i'm getting enough calories. And even with losing some weight I am now outgrowing my "normal" clothes, I have had to move onto maternity pants, they are just more comfortable, because right now anything around my waist or anything that is a little snug around my waist makes me nauseous, and I'm willing to take comfort over anything right now. But this last week has been one of my better ones, and I'm hoping they will just keep getting better. Hopefully I'll have some pictures up soon of my little bump, its not much, but I was surprised to already be pooching out and showing just a little bit. But its exciting and I'm looking forward to these next 6 months.

Finally some relief

So what seemed like the longest week and one of the most miserable weeks, I think it has finally passed. What started at Christmas, and ended at New Years. And what a relief it is to wake up and not be nauseous and actually feel like I can function. I can't tell you how wonderful food is right now either, after a week of eating saltines, toast and chicken broth, food is like heaven right now, and not only can I eat, but it actually tastes good( its has been weeks since anything has been good to me). So I guess I feel kinda lucky that I only got the worse of it for a week, but still at the same time, I don't wish this upon anyone, and to think some women go through this for weeks, all I can say is I have a new found respect for those women. So as you tell my spirits are high, and things seem to be going more smoothly. I'm just looking forward to the next phase of this pregnancy.

My almost Christmas Day trip to the ER

So this week has hit me harder than ever with morning sickness, or as I like to say all day and all night sickness. It all started Christmas morning, my mom was going to let me sleep in while she got up with Daniel, and of course one of the few days I could sleep in I can't. I woke up at about 7:00 a.m. feeling queasy and just plain horrible, so I head to the kitchen to grab some crackers or basically anything I can find hoping as soon as I get some food in me I'll start feeling better. Boy was I wrong. It seemed no matter what I did, nothing worked. So after we did all our morning Christmas stuff I just basically crashed on the couch, luckily Daniel just adores my parents so I had no worries about whether or not he would have enough attention. So sadly that was my Christmas, Jason and Daniel playing and hanging out with the family while I sat on the couch feeling horrible. I wanted to be optimistic so I kept thinking this would pass, finally I couldn't handle it anymore so at about 5:00 I told Jason we need to head home, I just wanted to be in my own bed and just crash, little did I know there was a different plan for me. Up until this point I was lucky enough that I had not thrown up yet, so feeling the way I did I carried a plastic bag with me in the car just in case, it wasn't until we got to our house that everything hit me like a brick, I was getting Daniel in his PJ's when all of a sudden I felt it, luckily I made it to the bathroom in time, so once this little episode was over I actually felt a little relief, and so I thought maybe this over and I can actually relax. Little did I know this was just the beginning. From about the time we got home at about 7:00 until midnight I threw up about 7 or 8 times(that's not including the many times I was dry heaving as well), and no matter what I did I could not get it under control. I tried nibbling on saltines, drinking 7 up and anything I could think of, in hope I could settle my stomach. but nothing worked, so finally I told Jason I can't do this, at this point my stomach was in knots, i was in complete pain, every time I stood up I would get dizzy and felt as though I was going to pass out and I was in complete tears. So with it being so late Jason mentioned maybe we should just head to the ER and see if there is anything they can do, and all though that did sound like a great idea, I kept thinking but what if this isn't a big deal and we make that useless trip to the ER. So I suggested calling my OB's after hours line, and within a few minutes I got a call back from my Doctor. And sadly I was right, we didn't need to go to the ER, he basically told me that I just need to continue what I have been doing, and if the throwing up goes on longer than 24 hrs then I may need to come in and see someone. Its just hard for me to believe this is normal for a lot of women in pregnancy. So after that call I only threw up about 2 or 3 more times, and then I was finally able to get some sleep. By morning I felt a little better, I was still very nauseous, but it was nothing like the day before. I basically spent the day in bed while Jason took care of Daniel for me (thank goodness he has the week off, I don't know what I would have done without him) And finally at about noon I was able to keep down some chicken broth, and once I knew that my stomach could handle that, I nibbled on some toast, and crackers. And finally everything stayed down! So when all said in done it probably was nothing, and its just part of being pregnant, but for me when it comes to being sick, I'm not the strongest person, and especially when it comes to throwing up.

When I was pregnant with Daniel my dad gave me this list of what moms wish they had known about pregnancy, childbirth and babies. I thought some of them were good, and it was funny to look at the list because I probably experienced about 90% of them.

• Things I wish I knew.....

That I'd feel tired all the time--my breasts would feel like they weighed 12 lbs each, and prenatal vitamins are huge and disgusting.

That every stranger in the world thinks its okay to touch your belly

About the constipation and gas, My husband was convinced that someone kidnapped his real wife

That morning sickness can happen at any time of day and just because you reach your third trimester, it doesn't mean it goes away.

About the stretching ligament pain--it feels like my hip and bones are stretching apart.

That my skin would be extremely dry all over and even flaking and sometimes itching.

That when you get further into your pregnancy be careful about sneezing and laughing to hard or you might find yourself needing another pair of underwear.

Not to be embarrassed about anything that happens in the labor room

That breastfeeding would be so difficult

To buy a breast pump ahead of time

That I would have to wear my maternity clothes so long after the baby was born

That I would still look 5 months pregnant leaving the hospital

First Doctors visit

Well I had my first doctors visit today, and all went well, of course because I'm only 8 weeks and 5 days we didn't attempt to try and listen to the heart beat, but we have decided since my last pregnancy was so complicated and well....a little strange at times, we decided at 12 weeks we will do an ultrasound and make sure all is well an progressing the way things should. But he had some reassuring words for me and some very positive feedback about a lot of my fears and concerns, first being my chances of having another child with Spina Bifida, first he made sure I was taking my prenatal vitamins, as well as 4 mg of folic acid, yes that's right because of my history I have to take well..... a lot more than the average pregnant woman. Usually you only need 1 mg of folic acid, the amount in a prenatal vitamin, but for me I have had to take the 1 mg that is already in my prenatal plus 4 more 1 mg tablets. At times I feel like a little addict taking 6 pills at once. But if that's what I have to do, then I'll do it. Then he went on to tell me that even though I have a child with Spina bifida my chances don't increase that much at having another child with Spina Bifida, he said usually a woman has about 1% or less chance at having a child born with Spina Bifida, but for me, my chances have only increased to about 2-5% of having another one. So hearing that gave me a little relief. But since I have found out that I was pregnant, I have had this very calm feeling, almost like I know things are going to be OK, but don't get me wrong, I still get scared, but I feel very comforted, and I know whatever the lord gives me, I can handle. We then went on to talk about my delivery options, I had a c-section with Daniel because he was in distress and after 23 long hours of sitting in a hospital bed in labor we decided to let medicine take over and get him out, but with things having been so complicated with Daniel, I have decided to have a c-section with this one too, now things may not be complicated like they were with Daniel and things may actually go smooth, but having gone through what I have and the stories I have heard about VBAC's I would just rather not risk it. But I was really happy with the way the visit went, and I was actually really surprised at how long the Doctor sat and talked with me, I didn't feel rushed or anything, he wanted to make sure all my questions were answered and wanted to make sure I felt confident about everything. Now he did tell me he doesn't want to categorize me as "high risk" but he did let me know they were going to watch me a little more carefully, and I may even have more frequent visits, but they don't want to jump the gun and think the worse of everything. We're just going to take a day at time and just hope for the best. And that is really all I can do as well, as long as I know I'm taking care of myself the best I can, then whatever the outcome, I'll be okay.

Well...this week has been terrible for me, I don't know why they call it morning sickness, but for me its all day sickness! It seems no matter what I eat, whether I crave it or not, it makes me sick. Lately I have been waking up at 6:00 a.m. just nauseous and unable to go back to sleep regardless of how tired I am, an no matter what I try to eat, it doesn't go away! So I guess you can tell this is my week of venting! I go to the doctor on Monday, so I'm hoping they can give me some kind of advice or something! I just can't take this horrible feeling anymore, I know, it will probably only last a few more weeks, but when it comes to being sick, I'm just not that tough and it makes me just want to curl up with a blanket and do nothing, but we all know having a two year old in the house that isn't going to happen. So I guess I just gotta suck it in and wait it out. The other thing that is strange is, I am hungry all the time, it seems like within an hour of eating a meal, my stomach is already growling! And so lately I have been trying to eat six small meals and a couple snacks to try and get a handle on this, so I'm hoping it works! I'm keeping my fingers crossed. But being hungry on top of being nauseous and being extremely tired and well I won't even start on the mood swings, I just feel so bad for my poor husband, but he's been so great through out all this, because it seems like this time around everything is new for us, and well I feel like a beginner at this whole pregnancy thing. But I'm just going to take a day at a time, and hope for the best. And hopefully soon we will have a little relief.

I'm tired of being nauseous, completely tired and well.....i feel like I just can't function anymore. What do I do to help ease this nauseous feeling, its as if I have never been pregnant before. But what everyone has been telling me is just like no two babies are alike, your pregnancies will be the same way. I guess I'm lucky in the sense that I haven't thrown up yet, but I have been on the way and well....i just try to hold it back, so I don't know whats worse, holding it in, and have that awful taste in your mouth and that terrible feeling in your stomach or just throwing up and having some relief. But then again I would just rather not be nauseous at all. And it seems like no matter what I try to eat, it just makes me sick, I have a few bites and then I lose all interest. But it wasn't until tonight, that I finally figured out what I wanted or at least what sounded good, and that's breakfast foods, all I want is pancakes, french toast, and some eggs, oh and some bacon(now this just doesn't sound like me)! Now this is weird for me considering, I may have these foods like once every six months when I'm not pregnant, but right now that is all I want, and it so happens those are the exact foods we don't have in our house right now! So you would think simple enough, just run out to the store and get some, except, Jason has the car at work tonight, and its in the 20's (so its freezing!) and it already dark outside so I'm not about to walk down the street just to get some pancake mix, so instead I chose a little bit of an easier option, oh the joy of having neighbors, my great neighbors were nice enough to let me borrow some of the essentials I would need to cure my craving, so at least for tonight I'm taken care, but believe me first thing in the morning I'm running out to the grocery store and stocking up!

So I have decided to keep a blog about this pregnancy, mostly because well....its easy to forget things, and I find myself trying so hard to remember things from my pregnancy with Daniel and remembering if this is normal or is this suppose to happen, and considering the fact that I am horrible at keeping a journal and well, I just blog better. I just wish I would have done something like this with Daniel. But then again my pregnancy with Daniel was so different and completely not text book. But that is no excuse not to keep some kind of a journal or some kind of record of what happened, or my experiences. Because I get so sad sometimes that I can't remember certain things, or that I didn't even write down the important things, like when I first felt him kick, or when I started to show and when I finally had to throw out the "normal" clothes and finally get some maternity wear. So I'm hoping by keeping this blog, I'll be able to look back and remember things, or maybe it may even trigger a memory of my pregnancy with Daniel. Either way, this is my way of keeping a journal and I hope you enjoy, so feel free to check back and check out my pregnant pics and to see what is in store for me this time around.