34 Weeks

We have been checking things off our giant list of things to do this week. The crib is all ready. Newborn and 0-3 month clothes are cleaned and put away. Pre-admission stuff at the hospital is taken care of. We still have a lot more to do before we are really ready for Josie to get here, but we are making progress.

How far along? 34 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Yeah - see comments from previous weeks
Sleep: I can't get enough of it. I feel so cranky due to being tired. Now that I am on winter break I can nap with Sophie at least. I have no idea what I am going to do when break is over.
Best moment this week: Christmas! I can't wait until next year so that we can celebrate Christmas as a family of 4!
Miss Anything? sleep
Movement: Always
Food cravings: Sweets. My students gave me a ton of chocolate for Christmas, so I am covered in this area.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just this stupid cold that I came down with. I am pathetic when I am sick, so add that to my already exhausted state and you will get meltdown city! Poor Joe and Sophie for having to put up with me this week.
Any pregnancy complications?: My sciatic nerve has been working overtime this week. It has also decided to get my right knee in on the action. I've broken down and taken pain meds (safe ones for pregnancy) a few different days. They really help, but I hate taking medicine. Besides that, my hormones and exhaustion have been taking over lately. I become grouchy and easily annoyed at least twice a week, which then leads into a crying spell. I have no control over it, which frustrates me even more.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: January 30th - 5 more weeks!

Sophie was so tired, much like me in last week's picture.

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yup. I can still mix in pre-pregnancy comfy pants and shirts, though the shirts are generally too short now. If I don't have a long enough tank top on underneath, my belly hangs out. Gross!
Stretch marks? Yeah. I am more veiny this time around though.
Sleep: I have started taking naps again. I'm always so tired!
Best moment this week: Seeing Josie again! The growth scan ultrasound went great! Josie is measuring in the 44th percentile and she is an estimated 4 lb 3 oz already! (just 4 oz away from Sophie's birth weight at 37 weeks). Her heart beat was strong, there was fluid in her stomach and kidneys which means that she has been practicing breathing (her daily hiccups already let me know this), and everything else looked as it should. Phew! She also appears to already have a ton of hair. The technician kept commenting on it. "Oh, my that is a lot of hair!" (while pointing to a bunch of white stuff around Josie's head.) I guess this means I won't have to glue bows in her hair like I did for Sophie. We might just have another goofball on our hands, too. At one point during the ultrasound, Josie looked straight at us (you know what I mean) and stuck her tongue out. It makes me smile just thinking about it!
Miss Anything? sleep
Movement: I love watching my stomach move underneath my shirts. I'm pretty sure it freaked some of my friends out earlier this week though. ha!
Food cravings: sweets
Anything making you queasy or sick: Earlier this week I had to leave my math class because my orange juice wasn't sitting well with me. I haven't puked in months, so it threw me for a loop. My sweet students were concerned about me. I love my other kids!
Any pregnancy complications?: At the start of the week my left cheekbone was killing me (as if I was getting a sinus infection). That isn't really pregnancy related, but when you combine it with sciatic nerve problems, back aches, breathlessness, leg cramps, and exhaustion you get one unhappy preggo. Luckily that symptom went away after a few days and now I am just left with all the other ones (I've been dealing with those, so no biggie). I think I am about to get a cold though, so that should be fun.
Have you started to show yet: of course
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Finishing Josie's room. I have changed my mind again and decided that Sophie should keep her old room. We tried having her sleep in her new bed in the other room, but it only lasted one night. After that she wanted to go back to her old room with her crib. So, this past weekend my dad helped me move the crib over to Josie's new room and Sophie's toddler bed to her room. (Sophie is sleeping much better now and hasn't asked for her crib). We still have a ton to do in Josie's room, but I love that it is starting to come together.

Don't mind how awful I look here. I am beyond exhausted here and starting to feel sick! Only one more day until Winter Break at school. It can't come soon enough.

Our Family

32 Weeks

I had to bribe Sophie with candy to pose with me. She wanted to watch Mickey Mouse instead.

How far along? 32 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? I looks like there are small additions to two other old stretch marks. Sophie was only a 4lb 7oz baby at 37 weeks, so I'm sure that more additions are in my future.
Sleep: I am still very tired each day. I'm still getting up multiple times a night. However, when I sleep on the couch with a cushion right behind my back I don't get up (or only get up once). The couch might be my new bed here very soon.
Best moment this week: I had a good (and quick) doctor's appointment yesterday. Things were looking good with me, which is always good to hear. The doctor predicted that Josie will be in the 40-50th percentile. We have a growth scan next Tuesday, so we will see if he is correct.
Miss Anything? Walking without my sciatic nerve acting up and sleep.
Movement: Lots. Her new favorite thing is pushing on and kicking my bladder. Not so nice.
Food cravings: Ice cold water
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: I've been overly emotional the past two weeks, mostly on the weekends. My sciatic nerve has been acting up again as well.
Have you started to show yet: obviously
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Seeing Josie on Tuesday! Less than a week!

31 Weeks

I'm so excited! Our basement is finally finished! It has been a work in progress since this summer and the end date kept getting pushed back farther and farther. I cried for about two hours lost my cool this weekend when Joe told me that it was going to take more time. I was just so frustrated. While my rational side knows that the people who were working on it have other lives, jobs, and things to do, my crazy pregnancy side took over and I just lost it. Let's see if you can follow my preggo train of thought...
Josie's room was Sophie's playroom. In order to start fixing up Josie's room, all of the toys (including some big ones) had to come out. Instead of them going to the living room or Sophie's room, they would go in the new playroom in the basement, whenever that was ready. So until the basement was finished, Josie's room would have to wait. That also meant that a bunch of other projects would have to wait, since it is kinda domino effect (one can't start until the other is finished). Doesn't seem like such a big deal, except that we have a deadline coming up. Josie will be here in 8 weeks. That is still enough time to get everything done. However, I have a lot of fears (very valid ones, in my opinion). When I was pregnant with Sophie, I was put on bed rest around 34 or 35 weeks and was induced at 37 weeks. There were many things, both at home and school, that I wasn't able to get finished. I don't want that to happen again this time. So far I haven't had any issues with this pregnancy that would suggest history will repeat itself. However, I can't help but worry (I'm a natural worrier, too, so pregnancy has just increased my fretting). We had so many different issues with Sophie, and there was the miscarriage of baby #2, so I can't help but wonder what is going to happen this time. When is the other shoe going to drop? Hopefully it won't and the only issue will be that I have driven myself crazy waiting for something to happen. Still, I want to get everything done as soon as possible just in case.
Anyway, the basement is finished now (minus some painting)! Thank goodness! The old playroom has also been painted and the crib is put together. However, crazy preggo me isn't in love with the crib. It was passed on to my mom, and she said we could have it for the baby. I thought it was white, but it is instead an antique cream color (which doesn't go with the grey paint in the room). It also has a drop side, which is a big no-no in cribs nowadays. Normal people would just go with the flow, be appreciative of what they have, and get on with decorating the nursery. I am not one of those normal people though and apparently like to make everything more difficult than it has to be (yes, I sound like an ungrateful brat). Joe and I talked about what to do and tossed around ideas. We decided that instead of moving the changing table and recliner into the new bedroom and using a possibly unsafe crib, we are going to have Josie take over Sophie's room. The room is basically ready for a baby, and she can just use Sophie's crib. Sophie will move into the old playroom. We discussed taking the drop side off of the crib so that it is a toddler bed (it is a crib that can do that), but decided against that (due to my crazy 'the colors don't match' thought). Instead we are ordering a (cheap) white toddler bed for her. I hope that Sophie does okay with the change of rooms. It is my goal to have her new room finished very soon so she has time to get used to that change before the even bigger change of having a new baby in the house happens.



I am one tired momma

How far along? 31 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Just the one small addition
Sleep: I am always beat when I get home from work, especially on Wednesdays (the day I do this blog) because I tutor kids in math after school. Even though I am tired, I never get a 'good night's sleep' - I'm still getting up multiple times in the night to use the restroom. So frustrating!
Best moment this week: Seeing our finished basement! Let the nesting begin!
Miss Anything? wine and beer - they would have come in handy this weekend
Movement: Absolutely
Food cravings: oreos and orange juice
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Not this week. My body has been nice to me after it rebelled on me last week.
Have you started to show yet: yup
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment next Tuesday. We should be able to schedule my growth scan. I can't wait to see Josie again!

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Just the one small addition from before
Sleep: I'm still getting up multiple times each night. It is hard to feel truly rested because of this.
Best moment this week: Hearing Sophie talk to Josie. Once she bumped my stomach and said, "I sorry, Josie." She also likes telling Josie hello and pointing her out to me (as if I could forget she is there). With prompting, she will kiss my belly and tell Josie she loves her. I hope she is this sweet to her sister when she is actually here.
Miss Anything? Being free of aches and pains
Movement: Josie has been even more active this week than usual. Sunday night while I was reading in bed she exercised for about 30 minutes. My stomach was all over the place! Monday night she was at it again for about 15 minutes.My laid back girl was in party mode apparently.
Food cravings: Nothing really
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Today I woke up and felt so sore in my lower abdomen. The pain reminded me of my recovery from my c-section (around 2 or 3 weeks post-op). It hurt to sit up, walk, or stand up straight (walking around helped to loosen the muscles some). If I had more sick days I would have stayed home today; it hasn't been a fun day. I called the doctor's office to see if this was normal. Apparently this is one of the joys of having multiple babies. The nurse explained that all those muscles aren't quite what they used to be, so this it is pretty common to feel like this, especially in the third trimester. She said the culprit is most likely round ligament pain, though there were some other things that could cause the same feelings. I think Josie is just trying to scratch her way out of me. :-/  Hopefully I feel back to normal tomorrow 
Have you started to show yet: Look at the pictures above and below for your answer.
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Getting Josie's room set up. I am getting really, really anxious about this. I guess I have started nesting!

29 Weeks

I had a doctor's appointment today. Just a quick check-up, nothing big. Still, it was a little frustrating. (warning - pregnant girl rant coming on) I have to say, it annoys me when doctors don't look over charts before coming in to talk to you. When she pulled up my information, she zoomed in on the fact that I had a fetal echo performed a few months ago and started questioning why. I explained all of Sophie's history (wouldn't that be in the files though, since it was their office who told me to have the echo done in the first place?). She then told me that everything came back normal from that test. Yeah...I know. I have known that for awhile now. She then told me that my one hour glucose results came back a little elevated. I told her that I knew this and I had already completed the three hour glucose test and that I called and received my results yesterday (I am fine!) She had to search around in her files to confirm that I was correct. I asked her about a growth scan this trimester and she just kinda waved it off, handing me my check-out information while saying we would schedule it around my 32 week visit. I guess that is okay since everything seems fine with Josie so far. Still, with all of the issues we had with Sophie's growth, I would kinda like an update on Josie's growth sooner rather than later. I had another question to ask, but the doctor was already halfway out of the door. I had to call after her to get her to listen to and answer my question. Geez. This was the first time I had seen this particular doctor and I wasn't that impressed by her (can you tell?). I'm glad that I already have my c-section scheduled with my favorite doc!

How far along? 29 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No other new ones
Sleep: I'm up at least twice a night (restroom). I can fall back asleep pretty easily though, which is nice. I still wish I had some uninterrupted sleep though.
Best moment this week: Learning that I passed my three hour glucose test. No gestational diabetes for this girl! I am so happy about this.
Miss Anything? energy
Movement: Yup. I love taking baths so I can see my stomach move around.
Food cravings: Nothing really
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Sciatic nerve pain and some hip pain. I also had my first case of swollen legs/feet this past weekend. It was my own fault for wearing knee high boots for a few hours. Gross! 
Have you started to show yet: oh yeah
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: January 30th. Only 10 weeks until I get to see my new baby girl!  



I wanted Sophie to come over to give Josie a kiss. Cosmo came over instead. Hopefully she likes/tolerates Josie as much as she does Sophie.
 

The Results Are In

Monday I went in for my 3 hour glucose test. By 7:30 AM I had registered, had my first blood draw done and was drinking my orange breakfast.

I wasn't feeling that great during the first hour. You only have 5 minutes to drink the glucose drink and then it just kind of sits there. I tried washing it down with water, but that wasn't too helpful. I was a little nervous that I might puke it up right away. I kept drinking water, but finally decided to get up and walk around. I found a hallway nearby during my one hour glucose test that was pretty perfect for pacing around. There were no patient rooms, only random work rooms, so it was mostly empty. Randomly someone with a cart of laundry or other supplies would come through, but that was about it. I put on my headphones (as suggested by one of my friends) and walked around for 15 minutes. Afterwards I had just enough time to use the restroom before I had to have my blood drawn for the second time.

After my second blood draw, I was excited to find out that I didn't have to drink anymore of the glucose drink. I could have sworn that I needed to drink some after each hour of the test, but thankfully my memory was off. That made me feel a lot better. I drank some more water and took off for some more pacing in the hallways. I was asked twice if I was lost by random hospital workers. Ha! After 20 minutes of walking I decided that I should be productive and grade some papers that I brought with me. Before I knew it, it was time for blood draw number three. I didn't puke this time! Josie and I make a good team, I tell you.

I spent my last hour of my test grading papers, pacing the hallways (getting asked once again if I was lost), praying, and drinking water. Time was up before I knew it. The last blood draw came and went (this one more painful than the others - my arm still hurts a little from it), and I finally was able to get some real food. I had to be at school right away, so I wolfed down my lunch on the drive there. After that I made it through the rest of the school day and three hours of conferences after school. I was exhausted when I finally made it home (a little after 7:30 PM), but thankful that I made it through the day.

While I was getting ready for school today, one of my friends sent me a text saying that she hoped I received good news with my glucose test. She told me that she was able to get her results the very next day, so I might be able to get mine today. I was torn - do I call the doctor's office or not? I was really afraid of the results. Part of me wanted to go ahead and get it over with, but the other part of me wanted just one more day of being 'normal,' just in case the results showed I had GD. We had a field trip today though, and on the bus ride back I just couldn't contain myself. I needed to know. I called the doctor's office and the nurse told me that I had passed each round of the test. No gestational diabetes for me! I was so happy I could have cried.

I am so thankful that God decided not to give me GD. I am even happy that he chose for me to go through this testing. It really made me stop to think about some of those bad choices I was making during this pregnancy (like fast food, daily doses of Sprite and a lack of exercise), and what I needed to do to help keep Josie safe. I'm not saying that I have completely cut out fast food (I had McDonald's after my test yesterday) or that I am going to start a big exercise routine. I am going to start making some smaller changes though during these last 10 weeks. Maybe that was the whole point of this situation. That God, he is a smart one. Plus, more experience with needles will hopefully make me less of a pansy when it comes to getting my IV put in and my epidural when I go to have Josie. I shudder every time I think about having to have those things done.

To quote one of Sophie's favorite books, "Thank you, God, for loving me."

2 Points For Honesty

I couldn't resist using a Guster song title as the title for this post. Anyway, yesterday I received my results from my glucose test. I failed by 2 points. Just 2. The same exact amount that I failed by when I was pregnant with Sophie. The nurse who gave me my results had to check the date of my test a few times just to make sure she had the right one. At least I am consistent.

Now I used to be deathly afraid of needles. Everything about the whole drawing blood and getting shots ordeal made me break out into cold sweats and get light headed. After being pregnant with Sophie, I have learned to deal with my fear. I know to ask for butterfly needles since my veins are small and to talk and ramble on about nonsense while the needles are doing their thing so that I can somewhat take my mind off of it. (I warn nurses that I am going to do this, and most of them play along). I still hate needles with a passion, but the fear isn't really there anymore. (There is a point in me saying all this. Keep reading.)

I can remember when I received the failing glucose result when I was pregnant with Sophie....
**Flashback time**
I was sitting on our bed and immediately burst into tears when I got off of the phone. I failed by 2 points and was going to have to take the three hour glucose test. Two stupid points! I didn't want to do the three hour test! I didn't want to even think about possibly having to test myself multiple times a day. I wallowed in self pity for a good three hours, causing a big sore to appear under my nose from all of the wiping with tissues. (The scab from the sore lingered for at least 2 weeks. So gross). My pity party for myself lasted for a few days...all because I didn't want to do the three hour test. So much for being strong and mature.

The three hour test wasn't as bad as I thought. I had to fast for 8 hours and was going to have to have blood drawn 4 times over the course of 3 hours (1 initial draw and then one each hour). Things went fine until the end of my second hour. They drew my blood and I immediately felt myself break into a cold sweat. The whole needle fear and lack of food had finally got the best of me. I told them I felt like I had to puke and the nurses went into action, putting a cold towel on my head and placing a garbage can in front of me. I took this as a sign to go ahead and puke. So I did and apparently that was the wrong choice. No one told me that if you puke, you have to redo the test all over again. At least they didn't tell me this until after I puked. They also told me they would have to throw out all my other blood. Immediately I started crying again. Another three hour test?! The three vials of blood they took already was for nothing?! Ugh!

When I went to see my doctor a day later, he was livid to find out that they threw away my blood. Apparently they could have received enough data from those to see if I had gestational diabetes or not. He looked back over my old results and told me that since I had only failed by 2 points and that I have a weak stomach when it comes to needles, he was going to have me try the one hour test again instead of the three hour one. I immediately fell in love with him. I passed my next glucose test by about 13 points, so I was off the hook. No gestational diabetes for me!
**End flashback*

On my way to have my blood drawn on Wednesday, I had a little conversation with God. I had told him that I wasn't going to ask to not have GD. I will go with whatever his plans are. All I wanted was for Josie to be healthy. So yesterday when I was told that I had failed my test, I just accepted it, even joking around with the nurse on the phone about it. I called Joe to let him know and told him I wasn't going to cry and whine this time. I was feeling pretty okay with things. The failing of the test didn't necessarily mean I had GD, just that I needed that three hour glucose test again. I could do that. I have been through the experience and at least know that if I puke during the test, I will tell the nurses they can't throw out my blood without my doctor's consent. Everything was going to be fine. However, the more I thought about the results, the more uneasy I felt. I won't lie, some tears came. Just a few here and there that escaped, nothing like the three hour fiasco when I was pregnant with Sophie. They were different tears, too. Instead of 'poor me - I have to have more tests done' I was thinking of my poor babies. (Hopefully this all doesn't sound like a 'poor me' kind of thing. That is not my intention at all.) I feel like I am doing/have done a disservice to them. I'm apparently not doing this whole pregnancy thing right. One baby was IUGR, one didn't make it past the first trimester, and the one I am currently carrying might have to face me having GD. There are things that I'm doing that I shouldn't. I know I don't eat the best (fast food and pizza are too yummy and easy) and that some days I drink more Sprite than water. I know I don't really exercise besides working and chasing after Sophie. Still, I thought I was doing better this pregnancy. I don't indulge every pregnancy craving like I did when I was pregnant with Sophie. I don't drink anything caffeinated. Since I am working during my third trimester this time, I am getting more exercise. I have only gained about 15 pounds so far. Still, I need to make some changes. I owe it to my kids.

I had another conversation with God last night while I was in the shower trying to clear my head. I told him that I was going to keep my word from before. I wasn't going to beg him to not give me GD. All I wanted was for Josie to be okay. If I had a choice it would be for my results to be fine, but I was going to leave that all up to him. Even though knowing I have to do the three hour test again bums me out a little, I will do it and do my very best to keep any tears at bay.

I keep reminding myself that I do not necessarily have GD, just some elevated levels that need another look. Hopefully my test on Monday will show that I am fine. However, if I do have GD, then I will deal with it. I'm not saying I won't complain some and that a few more tears won't be shed, but it will be fine. I have some great friends who have recently dealt with GD and they said that it wasn't too bad. If I have it, they will help me out and show me the ropes. If they can make it through, then so can I. Again, I am just going to put this into God's hands and let him choose what happens. I am not going to let myself dwell on it this weekend and I will go in Monday morning, take the test, and put it out of my mind until the results come in. As long as God takes care of Josie and helps her be a strong, healthy little girl then I am happy.

I'm glad I got this all off my chest. Now I can get on with my weekend.

28 Weeks

I have been coming home from work so tired and sore each day. I have been feeling like such a wimp. I have just started my third trimester and I'm not that big yet, so why have I been so tired? I couldn't remember feeling like that when I was pregnant with Sophie. Sure every pregnancy is different and Sophie was a lot smaller, not to mention Sophie is 2 and I am constantly doing things with her. Still, it really bothered me that I already was feeling so worn down. Then I got to thinking about my third trimester with Sophie. It started while I was on summer break from school. While I still had meetings to go to, plans to complete and a classroom to get ready, I didn't have to teach all day. It really does make a huge difference!

In other news, I had my glucose test and RHOgam injection today. Two not so pleasant things out of the way. Hopefully I will pass my glucose test and that will be that. I'm anxious to hear those test results.

How far along? 28 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes. I love those stretchy clothes.
Stretch marks? No other new ones
Sleep: I've had better sleep weeks. Sophie has a double ear infection, so she has been getting up in the middle of the night the past few nights. It has been exhausting, but I keep telling myself that it is preparing me for when Josie gets here. Besides, I'll take sleepless nights if that means I get to comfort my daughter.
Best moment this week: I was able to hear Josie's heartbeat when I went for my RHOgam shot today. I wasn't expecting that, so it really made my day. 
Miss Anything? Walking up the stairs without getting out of breath.
Movement: All the time. Josie loves my right side, so I always feel her moving around over there. 
Food cravings: Taco Bell
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Sciatic nerve pain 
Have you started to show yet: yup
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Seeing Josie again. I am supposed to have a growth scan sometime in my third trimester, so hopefully that will be soon.

27 Weeks

Hello third trimester!!

How far along? 27 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No other new ones
Sleep: I am just not feeling rested. I constantly feel tired and worn out, especially during the week when I get home from work. I guess my energy from the second trimester left early. This weekend though I was able to catch up on some sleep. One night I slept 11 hours and the next I slept 10 hours. It was magical, but now I am back to feeling exhausted. Ah well. A small price to pay for the sweet little girl I am carrying.
Best moment this week: Making it past week 26. That is just a scary week to me since I've known some babies who were born at 26 weeks. It has been the week that I have been most dreading actually. Now that we are past that, I feel as if a weight has been lifted. I feel confident that if something were to happen now and Josie had to be born early, she would be fine. (Not that I think she will come early - no indicators of that.)
Miss Anything? just wine
Movement: Yup! Josie is a laid back baby, but she has her hyper moments. She doesn't like it when I lean over at my desk because it pushes against my stomach. For the same reason, she doesn't like if I pull my knees to my chest. She gets excited in the mornings when she hears her sister talking (she doesn't do much until she hears Sophie). If Sophie cries, Josie will start squirming, as if she wants to go comfort her big sister. I think she already idolizes Sophie.
Food cravings: cupcakes!
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Sciatic nerve pain
Have you started to show yet: yup
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Getting my glucose test out of the way. I go next Wednesday for that and my RhoGAM shot. Ick.

Sophie did not want to cooperate today. At least she took a quick break from walking her baby to take a picture.

 

26 Weeks

Happy Halloween!

How far along? 26 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Just that one little addition to an older one
Sleep: I can go to sleep pretty easily, but I still don't feel very rested when I wake up.
Best moment this week: Today I received a wonderful piece of mail. It was my c-section information from my doctor's office. Josie now has an official birth date (unless something happens before then). She will be born on January 30th. This date also happens to be the 1 year anniversary of my miscarriage. I am glad that something amazing will be happening on that day. Life is funny in that way.
Miss Anything? pumpkin spice lattes WITH the caffeine
Movement: All the time.  
Food cravings: Hot chocolate. Not really a food, but I have been wanting one every day this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Sciatic nerve pain came back this week. Joy.
Have you started to show yet: No mistaking there is a baby in there. A new kid in my social studies class asked me yesterday if I was pregnant. I really wanted to say I was just fat (to see his reaction), but told him the truth instead.
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Putting together Josie's room. Our basement is so close to be finished, which means we can soon clear out Josie's room. We have a crib and I just ordered some sheets and a crib skirt. Once those come in, I can pick out some paint to match and change it from the hideous animal theme from the previous owners to a pretty little girl's room.



Ignore the fact that my pants are way too long. I need to find someone to hem them.

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? Just the tiniest addition to an old stretch mark.
Sleep: I sleep at night, and get a decent amount, too. However, each morning when I wake up I feel as if I hadn't slept at all. Ugh.
Best moment this week: On Monday one of my students (a boyabout my size - minus the extra baby weight) and his books rammed into my stomach when he was leaving class. (not the best moment, obviously). I was freaking out a bit. Josie didn't move for a good hour and a half. I drank a real Coca Cola, had chocolate and Nerds...all the sugar and caffine I could get so she would move. Nothing. Finally when I started teaching again, she moved for me. She was pretty subdued the rest of the day. I was laying on the couch and told Joe that I was still a little worried since she hadn't moved much. Right at that moment she gave me a giant kick! It was her way of telling me to stop worrying. Thanks, Josie!
Miss Anything? wine
Movement: yup. It is getting stronger and stronger.
Food cravings: No
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: The side/top of my left foot has been bothering me the past few days when walking. Just on and off though, so no real complaints here.  
Have you started to show yet: yes
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: My next doctor's visit. I can't get enough of hearing Josie's sweet little heart beat.

24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks
Maternity clothes? Absolutely
Stretch marks? I think that one of my old ones is being added to up towards the top. Not much at least. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on that one.
Sleep: I didn't bring my body pillow on vacation with me and my hips were so sore each time I would wake up. I am not going without that again!
Best moment this week: Two of them: The first night of our vacation, Sophie refused to sleep in her pack and play. Instead she slept in bed with us (this never happens). All night she slept pressed against me with her feet under my chin and her head against my stomach. (I had to keep checking to make sure the blankets weren't suffocating her.) I finally woke up for good to Josie kicking at Sophie's head. I couldn't help but laugh. I guess she didn't like her sister encroaching on her space.
I also had a check-up this week. Everything is looking and sounding good with little miss Josie. I love hearing that little heartbeat!
Miss Anything? wine (as always)
Movement: Oh yeah
Food cravings: Peanut M&Ms have been my favorite thing this whole pregnancy. I was munching on them a bunch this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Just the whole shortness of breath thing.
Have you started to show yet: Absolutely
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Getting our basement finished so that we can clear out Josie's room. I can't wait to get some paint on the walls and put the crib up!  

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yeah. All of my pre-pregnancy pants have been put away. I can still wear a lot of my shirts and sweaters, but I am noticing that they are starting to get shorter and shorter on me. Sad.
Stretch marks? No new ones yet 
Sleep: I've been sleeping well, but don't feel rested when I wake up.
Best moment this week: Earlier this week, I saw Josie move. She was kicking up a storm and so I lifted my shirt to see if she would visibly move. Sure enough, after a minute of watching, I saw my stomach move a little bit. I love that stuff! (others might find it creepy though). Also, today Joe was able to feel and see Josie move (just a little movement like the one I saw). I am so glad that she finally let her Daddy in on the movement action.
Miss Anything? wine
Movement: Yup. They are a lot stronger now.
Food cravings: Chocolate.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Just the normal huffing and puffing from climbing stairs. Other than that, I am good. Have you started to show yet: Yes. There is no mistaking that I am pregnant.
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Going on vacation in a few days and my doctor appointment on Monday. I can't wait to hear Josie again.   

22 Weeks

How far along? 22 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yup
Stretch marks? No new ones.
Sleep: I've been sleeping okay this week. No waking up in the middle of the night, which makes me happy.
Best moment this week: Feeling Josie kicking and moving. This is going to sound really stupid, but I was afraid for a day or two that I was going to lose her when I got sick last week. Right before my miscarriage in January, I got the flu. I can't help but think that the flu led to my miscarriage. That might not be the case, but it is hard to shake those fears. I am so thankful for every kick and squirm that Josie makes to let me know that she is okay.
Miss Anything? wine
Movement: Yes
Food cravings: None
Anything making you queasy or sick: We had White Castles yesterday and it made me a little queasy.
Any pregnancy complications?: None this week. My sciatic nerve hasn't  bothered me at all. I haven't had any headaches either. (I've been drinking a Sprite a day, so I wonder if the sugar is helping control the headaches.)
Have you started to show yet: Absolutely
Gender: Girl!
Looking forward to: Joe feeling Josie. Whenever he puts his had on my stomach, she stops moving.  

 

21 Weeks

Well, the stomach bug hit our house this week. Around 4 am Sunday morning I woke up puking. Felt gross all day Sunday, but Monday was okay for me. Tuesday was a whole other story. About 5 minutes before we left home in the morning, I got sick again. As I was puking, Sophie was asking if I was okay. I got her to leave so she didn't have to watch me and then I heard her screaming/crying in the other room. I stopped what I was doing to give her a hug, and smelled poop. Diarrhea to be exact. We both stayed home and snuggled up on the coach. Josie was gentle with her kicks and turns, which was nice. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when I have two kids and I am sick.

How far along? 21
Maternity clothes? Yup
Stretch marks? No new ones.
Sleep: I've been sleeping well this week
Best moment this week: Feeling Josie roll around and kick. No more little flutters!
Miss Anything? Well, I have missed Coke Zero so much that I broke down and had one earlier this week. I savored it over 2 hours at school. Josie was bouncing all over the place.
Movement: Oh yeah!
Food cravings:  None
Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything seemed to this week.
Any pregnancy complications?: None this week. My sciatic nerve has actually been behaving itself. I guess it knew I was going to get the stomach bug and decided to give me a break.
Have you started to show yet: Yup
Gender: Girl
Looking forward to: Hearing Josie's heart beat again. I love that.

20 Weeks

How far along? 20  Weeks - I am halfway there!
Maternity clothes? Yup
Stretch marks? No new ones.
Sleep: Besides a certain 2 year old who has decided to wake up each night at 4:30, I have been sleeping pretty well.
Best moment this week: Learning that we are having a baby girl and that she is developing perfectly! Such great news!
Miss Anything? Coke Zero
Movement: Yup! I love those little taps.
Food cravings:  Not really
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: Still some sciatic nerve issues and headaches. I did a 5K on Saturday and it helped wiht my sciatic nerve for a few days. Guess that means I am going to have to start walking some more.
Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah.
Gender prediction: No more predicting! I am so excited about my little girl!
Looking forward to: Seeing my daughters together.

Sophie's Reaction

"I like-a you, Josie."

Ultrasound and Echo Updates

Yesterday was a big day for little miss Josie (and her parents). She had not one but two 'photo shoots!'

First up was the anatomy ultrasound. The technician took us back a room with multiple beds and machines (I am thinking it is used for NSTs). She said it wasn't the normal room she uses and mentioned that she hadn't used the machine she was able to use since January. Okay... So she gets started and basically tells us nothing besides 'there is a foot' and 'I am measuring the brain'. I guess it is normal that ultrasound technicians not tell you about the things they see; that is the job for the doctors. However, the technician who did many of Sophie's ultrasounds told us everything. She was cranky and very blunt, but I kinda missed kinda missed her yesterday. I had questions about the umbilical cord and growth that I wanted answered and this technician wasn't budging. Anyway, after about 5 minutes of working her magic, she told us that we needed to go back out to the waiting room. She wanted to use the machine in another room and had to wait for it to be free. Joe and I were confused. Why would she start an ultrasound and then tell us she was going to redo it? I started to think that maybe she was getting a doctor because she found something wrong. Ten minutes later she called us back and lead us to the new room. She continued with her scans, randomly announcing an arm moving or something else that I couldn't see. (I wasn't a huge fan of her...can you tell?) Then all of a sudden she zooms in on a spot and says, "Those three white lines means you are having a girl." Man, no build up or warning that we were about to find out our baby's gender. I barely had time to smile with happiness before she took the wand off my stomach and told us that she was finished. Geez... I left feeling kind of dazed. On the one hand I was ecstatic about finding out that my baby is a girl. On the other hand I was baffled and annoyed by the experience we just had. I'm not saying that the technician needed to be warm and bubbly and chatty, but her lack of a personality kind of ruined things. She could have at least let us look at our daughter for a minute before hurrying us out of the room...

So after leaving that somewhat disappointing ultrasound, we headed over to Children's Hospital for the fetal echo. Things went much better here. Not only did we get back quickly, but the technician and nurse were both very friendly and helpful. The technician would also throw out little bits of info, like when Josie had the hiccups or how she was trying to grab her foot at one point. I appreciated those little things. (That other technician could have learned a thing or two from this one). After the echo was finished, the doctor came in to go over the results with us. He said that everything looked perfect! He did mention that there is a possibility that she could have a bicuspid valve that is very minor (like Sophie's) that they might not be able to see. He didn't seem very concerned by this and even said that we wouldn't need to have an echo done on Josie after she is born unless we were really worried and wanted it done for piece of mind. Nah. He reiterated that everything looked great before sending us on our way. I felt so much better after this appointment. Even if we didn't know about Josie's umbilical cord or her size we at least knew that she has a great heart. I finally felt that I was able to smile and get excited about our baby girl!

Today I went for a check-up with my doctor. He found Josie's heartbeat right away (not like that scary experience the last time I had a check-up) and said things sounded great. Then he looked at her ultrasound results. He told us everything looks perfect! All 3 vessels are there in her umbilical cord, her brain looks good, and she is in the 48% percentile for size! Whooo hoooo!  My little Josie is doing great so far! I am so happy and relieved!

Josie

Since finding out that I am pregnant, Joe and I have been discussing names. Well, I've been discussing names and Joe has been listening to me (and agreeing). I knew what name I wanted to use for a boy, but I was stuck between two girl names. As our anatomy scan drew closer, I told Joe that he had to pick between the two names. He decided on Josephine Evelyn (insert last name here). We are going to call her Josie for short. Josephine is a nod to Joe, my Grandpa (Joe), and Joe's dad (whose middle name is Joseph). Evelyn was my Grandma's name. It also has a 'Lynn' in there (minus one 'n' - Lynn as a middle name is kind of a family tradition on my side of the family. There are 5 of us with that middle name: me, my sister, my cousin, my niece, Sophie...). I am especially happy that my Grandma and Grandpa P. are represented in her name. They were amazing grandparents and I miss them everyday.

We are so excited to be having another girl! I can't help but smile, thinking about my daughters. I hope they love each other and are close friends. It is going to be so wonderful having two little girls around! Sophie and Josie...I just love it!


**According to Babycenter.com, Josephine/Josie means "God shall add" and Evelyn means "Life". God shall add life...perfect!

It's A....

GIRL!!

 

 (Thanks to Becki for taking these pictures for us.)

19 Weeks

Tomorrow is a really big day for Raz. At 12:40, we are going to my doctor's for an ultrasound. This one will tell us what we are having and if there are any issues. At 2:30, we are going to Children's Hospital for a fetal echo. I'm a little nervous about both of these appointments. Last time when we went for the anatomy scan, we found out that Sophie had a 2 vessel cord and was in a lower percentile. (Not as scary as what my sister went through at her anatomy scan - finding out her daughter had gastroschisis.) Each ultrasound after showed that Sophie was slipping farther and farther down the percentile scale until she was IUGR. It is hard not to fear that history will repeat itself. Still, regardless of what happens tomorrow, we love Raz and are so happy to have her/him in our lives.

How far along? 19  Weeks
Maternity clothes? I'm wearing a mix of pregnancy clothes and pre-pregnancy clothes.
Stretch marks? No new ones.
Sleep: I had some issues with falling asleep this week. Overall it wasn't too bad.
Best moment this week: Today is my 29th birthday! Raz gave me a bunch of happy little taps after school. Combining that with kisses and hugs from Joe and Sophie made it a wonderful day!
Miss Anything? Not having headaches. I very rarely had headaches before being pregnant and I've had them for a week straight now!
Movement: I keep feeling little taps here and there. There have been two times when I think Raz had the hiccups. They didn't last but a few minutes, but I kept feeling little bumps every 15 seconds. So sweet.
Food cravings:  I've realized one craving that I've had throughout my pregnancy. It is a little strange. I want multiple things at the same time that starts with the letter P. So one day it might be peanut M&Ms, pickles and popsicles and another it might be popcorn, peanuts, and pizza. Today I wanted pizza, potatoes (mashed), and peanut butter M&Ms.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells. Earlier this week, a student took his shoes off when I was working with his group. I could have puked. The smell lingered and I couldn't go back to the table for the rest of class. So gross! Also, not getting enough to eat is making me a little sick (duh!). Before breakfast is the worst.
Any pregnancy complications?: Sciatic nerve issues and all week long I've been getting headaches. It always starts up in the afternoons. Not sure what that is all about yet.
Have you started to show yet: Yup. 
Gender prediction: Girl (though I caught myself calling the baby my son a few days ago...)
Looking forward to:  tomorrow when we get to find out what we are having, and if all is well with sweet little Raz.