Oops. I forgot to write down what I ate the last couple days... I've been too busy relaxing and letting things go, crocheting hats/angering my bum hand.... and celebrating Joey's night time potty training success!! I'm seriously so proud!! AND relieved!! I didn't have to do a darn thing. He just stopped wetting the bed all on his own... so I officially have one child left in diapers!! And boy does it feel great... hopefully it will still be one child in diapers when the baby comes. Here's to potty training Annabelle!! It could not have been easier to potty train Joey, so I'm hoping for the same results. We waited until he was good and ready (the week after he turned 3) and he was potty trained in just a couple of days. So easy! With Joey, I've learned not to listen to most advice people offer me (unless it's from people who are close to him) or pay any attention to what other people do with their kids. So what if their kids were trained before age three. It doesn't make me a bad mom for not pushing it at an earlier age. It was easy for me to wait, and it payed off. My kid waits until he's good and ready to do EVERYTHING. And that is totally okay!! So... here's to hoping and praying it's this breezy with Annie.
Anyway... food. I've been lame and been trying to keep it simple. Eating a certain way my whole life, and then suddenly changing all of that has been a bit of a challenge for my picky pallet. So.. for breakfast I ate an english muffin with almond butter and a side of berries. Then my chia shot with OJ, and a cup of coffee to follow. For lunch today, I made a crazy smoothie. It contained half a cup of black beans, 2 cups spinach, 2 cups kale, strawberries, blueberries, a banana, little bit of coconut creme, rice milk... and that's it. For dinner I made some low fat ground chicken stir fry with kale, yellow squash, carrots, and brown rice.. I ate that in the form of a lettuce wrap. Then I made a smoothie with spinach, strawberries, blueberries, low fat organic yogurt, coconut creme, chia seeds, and half a cup of black beans with some honey to sweeten it. For a snack earlier I ate a protein bar made from nuts. So. There you have it. That's what I ate. I hope in addition to my prenatals, I managed to get everything baby and I needed nutritionally. Friends, if you have any input, please feel free to give it to me!! I'm so new to this *mostly* vegetarian thing... it's a little overwhelming. I feel like I need to eat more than I can physically consume. It's crazy!! But... I'm slowly finding my limits with things like low fat yogurt (I can only eat about 1/4 cup of it without getting a mild gallbladder attack) and I can eat a small piece of mozzarella cheese and be okay... Oh and that ground chicken is working out great. Anyway... thanks for reading!! :)
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Just a bit of random foodness...
I finally got some sleep last night!! yay!! Having so much trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep lately prompted me to finally try some unisom... And oh my goodness was it magical. I slept very soundly last night... not as much as I normally like, but the quality was there.
Anyway, today I started out my day with 1/4 cup of steel cut oats with a large spoonful of pumpkin, a little brown brown sugar, dash of cinnamon, and a dash of milk. I did NOT like the pumpkin. Yuck. Take two tomorrow will just be my usual embellishments... brown sugar and milk.
I then grabbed a cup of coffee with a little half n half and ran out the door to my Bible study brunch. There I ate about two cups of spinach salad topped with mangos and strawberries and dressed it with cucumber cilantro dressing... (homemade by my wonderful mother in law, and it was amazing and so healthy!! Can't wait to post the recipe!!) On the side, I ate probably a good cup and a half of fresh cut fruits and berries. SO yummy. Oh and I ate a tiny sliver of quiche to see if I could tolerate it... which I did.
THEN, when I got home, I did a "chia shot" as I kindly call it. I put a tbsp of chia seeds in a small cup, added an ounce of juice and chug it/refill as needed to get all the seeds. Super nutritious! I also had a fiber bar, and picked some pecans off the french toast casserole I made for my Bible study brunch. That was a mistake. Mild attack as a result of that... :(
For a snack, I munched on a few black bean quinoa chips and a tbsp of hummus...
For dinner, I sauteed about 2 cups of kale in a teaspoon of olive oil and a dash of garlic salt and pepper. Then I had a rosemary biscuit as a treat, and ate a broiled bartlet pair topped with a TINY bit of mozzarella cheese. I decided to experiment a little to see if I can further define my limits. I did just fine with that so now at least I know how much mozzarella I can eat. I finished dinner with a tbsp of almond butter and another chia shot. A good day I should think! Lots of dark leafy greens... I would like to increase my amounts of dark leafy greens though. Perhaps in a smoothie? We'll see.
As far as drinks go, I try to keep it to just water for the most part... minus my morning coffee and juice in my chia shots. Other than that I just drink water.
Okay... hopefully tomorrow will be even better. :)
Anyway, today I started out my day with 1/4 cup of steel cut oats with a large spoonful of pumpkin, a little brown brown sugar, dash of cinnamon, and a dash of milk. I did NOT like the pumpkin. Yuck. Take two tomorrow will just be my usual embellishments... brown sugar and milk.
I then grabbed a cup of coffee with a little half n half and ran out the door to my Bible study brunch. There I ate about two cups of spinach salad topped with mangos and strawberries and dressed it with cucumber cilantro dressing... (homemade by my wonderful mother in law, and it was amazing and so healthy!! Can't wait to post the recipe!!) On the side, I ate probably a good cup and a half of fresh cut fruits and berries. SO yummy. Oh and I ate a tiny sliver of quiche to see if I could tolerate it... which I did.
THEN, when I got home, I did a "chia shot" as I kindly call it. I put a tbsp of chia seeds in a small cup, added an ounce of juice and chug it/refill as needed to get all the seeds. Super nutritious! I also had a fiber bar, and picked some pecans off the french toast casserole I made for my Bible study brunch. That was a mistake. Mild attack as a result of that... :(
For a snack, I munched on a few black bean quinoa chips and a tbsp of hummus...
For dinner, I sauteed about 2 cups of kale in a teaspoon of olive oil and a dash of garlic salt and pepper. Then I had a rosemary biscuit as a treat, and ate a broiled bartlet pair topped with a TINY bit of mozzarella cheese. I decided to experiment a little to see if I can further define my limits. I did just fine with that so now at least I know how much mozzarella I can eat. I finished dinner with a tbsp of almond butter and another chia shot. A good day I should think! Lots of dark leafy greens... I would like to increase my amounts of dark leafy greens though. Perhaps in a smoothie? We'll see.
As far as drinks go, I try to keep it to just water for the most part... minus my morning coffee and juice in my chia shots. Other than that I just drink water.
Okay... hopefully tomorrow will be even better. :)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
24 week update
Lately I've sort of kicked back and put things like my blog, social media, TV, and other such things on the back burner. Not that I was super great about blogging to begin with, but I just needed to spend more time in God's word as well as enjoying my children a little more. I've found it has helped ease a lot of my anxieties and worries about all things pregnancy and birth. Not sure why I've struggled so much lately, but I feel like it's the enemy's way of trying to take me down... but that just won't happen.
Anyway, I've been feeling... okay lately. Not the greatest, but I could definitely feel worse! This pregnancy has taken a huge toll on me emotionally, so I think the aches and pains I've been feeling physically have been a lot less tolerable because I've been struggling to keep myself together. I have tried to make a conscious effort to keep myself in a good mood as best I can, and maintain high levels of patience with people and with my kiddos. I've found that taking things out of my life like TV shows, groups on facebook, (wasting time on facebook in general), remaining somewhat oblivious to current events... those things have helped me to keep a positive mindset and focus on replacing negatives with positives. Call me ignorant, I call it blissfully unaware for my own sanity.
I think part of my difficulty is that our little family is transitioning and trying to find balance with Jeff's new work schedule. He now works from 11pm-7am Thursday through Monday, and has Tuesday's and Wednesday's off. THAT has been a huge deal for me. I didn't realize how much things would change with that... Not only do I struggle with insomnia while pregnant, I struggle with staying asleep... Especially when Jeff is gone... It's like sleeping with one eye open. So if I don't get much sleep between the time Jeff leaves and returns from work, that's just too bad. I can't just wake him up so I can take a nap... The kids need me and Jeff needs a good solid sleep so he can work safely and come home in one piece. Not that I mind being up with my kiddos... that's my joy!! I love being a stay at home mom for them. It's what I always wanted for my children. But I'm not going to say it's easy keeping them quiet, chasing them around, entertaining them, doing my cleaning, cooking, and taking care of my pregnant self... especially not having enough sleep. Adjusting to being alone at night and most of the day has not been easy for me, but I know eventually I'll find balance and get used to a new routine. At least he has a good paying job right?!?
As far as baby goes... all seems to be progressing smoothly! I'm measuring perfectly, and baby had a super strong heartbeat today. I can definitely feel that baby is growing rapidly... I can see my baby moving around all the time, and kicks and punches are not so gentle anymore. Baby is also all over the place... I feel the baby super low and also a few inches past my belly button... This tells me baby is probably on the taller side in comparison to Joey and Annie, or this baby likes to stretch out more than they did. This little one also seems to enjoy pushing back when I press my hand on my belly. It's been a fun little game we've been able to play lately. I so enjoy feeling baby move and seeing the movements as well. Makes it seem more real that we're indeed having another baby, and it's a good bonding experience before we get to meet. So, all in all, baby is doing quite well in there. My weight gain has also been pleasingly under control. As of now, I've gained about 7-8 pounds... which is a little less than I had gained at this point in pregnancy with Annabelle... I won't even mention what I weighed at this point with Joey... yikes!!
I have to say, I believe part of my slow weight gain has to do with the fact that my gallbladder is so angry all the time. I've pinpointed a few things that trigger attacks, but sometimes I just don't know what triggers certain attacks. Since I started having issues with it at the beginning of April, I've noticed myself slowly phasing out foods that didn't used to bother me at the beginning of this month... I talked to my doctor about it today and he said that even though my test results were clear, this is something that happens a lot. So he recommended I eliminate meat and dairy to see if that helps, minus the few things I can eat. (Lightly seasoned chicken, fat free milk, small amounts of half n half in my coffee...that's about it right now). So now I'm learning how to be a vegetarian. It's a little overwhelming right now trying to monitor my food intake and ensure that I'm getting enough protein... as well as other nutrients. I've been told it gets easier once you get the hang of it. So... in order to help myself keep track of what I'm eating, I've decided to blog it out and include recipes that I decided I like.
This will be an interesting adventure for sure. Hopefully there will be aspects of this diet change that I will like enough to stick around after baby comes. I will still be looking forward to enjoying a nice expensive steak when this is all said and done! Assuming my gallbladder goes back to normal. I still like my meats.... just cutting them out for now. I have also decided to try and eat as much gluten free food items as possible (with a few exceptions here and there). Having Annie on a gluten free diet is easier when there are at least two of us eating that way, and it also makes her more interested in eating things I offer her if I'm eating them too. Trader Joe's has been awesome for gluten free food!! So anyway... here's what I ate today:
(I was feeling icky this morning so I skipped breakfast and just drank water... naughty girl... I know...)
Caramel latte with nonfat milk from starbucks, and a piece of lemon loaf. I then snacked on some white cheddar popcorn from Trader Joe's (roughly half a cup). For lunch, I ate half a gluten free bagel with unsweetened salted almond butter (about half a tbsp), 1 tbsp of chia seeds in a small cup of apple juice, a fiber bar... and I think that's it. For dinner, I sauteed about 2 cups of kale in olive oil with fresh minced garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. I then let it cool and put a small amount of honey balsamic dressing on it and it was so good! I paired that with a rosemary biscuit... my other treat for today. I then ate a protein bar (consisted mostly of mixed nuts), 1 tbsp chia seeds in a small cup of juice... and that's all I can remember other than some fruits and veggies for snacks. I know I ate more protein, just can't remember everything I ate today. It sounds like a ton of carbs... but today was my cheat day. So anyway, for tomorrow I prepped some steel cut oats for breakfast which I'm excited to experiment with. I have a few ideas for how to dress it up in a healthy yummy way... and I also have a day of meals and snacks planned for tomorrow and will plan more meals and snacks the for the next few days. Hopefully this helps me get the hang of this. Thanks for reading friends! God bless!
This will be an interesting adventure for sure. Hopefully there will be aspects of this diet change that I will like enough to stick around after baby comes. I will still be looking forward to enjoying a nice expensive steak when this is all said and done! Assuming my gallbladder goes back to normal. I still like my meats.... just cutting them out for now. I have also decided to try and eat as much gluten free food items as possible (with a few exceptions here and there). Having Annie on a gluten free diet is easier when there are at least two of us eating that way, and it also makes her more interested in eating things I offer her if I'm eating them too. Trader Joe's has been awesome for gluten free food!! So anyway... here's what I ate today:
(I was feeling icky this morning so I skipped breakfast and just drank water... naughty girl... I know...)
Caramel latte with nonfat milk from starbucks, and a piece of lemon loaf. I then snacked on some white cheddar popcorn from Trader Joe's (roughly half a cup). For lunch, I ate half a gluten free bagel with unsweetened salted almond butter (about half a tbsp), 1 tbsp of chia seeds in a small cup of apple juice, a fiber bar... and I think that's it. For dinner, I sauteed about 2 cups of kale in olive oil with fresh minced garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. I then let it cool and put a small amount of honey balsamic dressing on it and it was so good! I paired that with a rosemary biscuit... my other treat for today. I then ate a protein bar (consisted mostly of mixed nuts), 1 tbsp chia seeds in a small cup of juice... and that's all I can remember other than some fruits and veggies for snacks. I know I ate more protein, just can't remember everything I ate today. It sounds like a ton of carbs... but today was my cheat day. So anyway, for tomorrow I prepped some steel cut oats for breakfast which I'm excited to experiment with. I have a few ideas for how to dress it up in a healthy yummy way... and I also have a day of meals and snacks planned for tomorrow and will plan more meals and snacks the for the next few days. Hopefully this helps me get the hang of this. Thanks for reading friends! God bless!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
20 weeks
A lot has happened this week. My plan for everything went out the window, and honestly I couldn't be more relieved.
After my last visit with the midwife, I had this strange feeling about things... About this birth, about my care... I'm not sure what it was about. But lets just say these last few weeks have been really hard on me emotionally and mentally. For whatever reason, my anxiety level has been through the roof and I've been unable to pinpoint EXACTLY what the cause was. I wasn't sure if maybe the birth center being so close to where my mom died was possibly triggering my PTSD, or if perhaps I just didn't feel it was right for me to be there anymore? I'm not completely sure. But what I did know was that my anxiety was getting out of control. I'm still dealing with it, but I've been praying a lot, talking to God, and trying to decompress my feelings as much as possible.
So, in response to everything I had been feeling and after a lot of thought and a lot of prayer, I decided to switch my care back to my regular OB/GYN. And boy... I let out a huge sigh of relief when I finally got all that out of the way, and I feel even better today since I've been able to go in and talk to my doctor about everything that's been going on. He was so very supportive, and he said that him and his nurse were so excited to have me back. That felt great to hear. I was very worried that my choice to try out something different had hindered my relationship with my doctor and the clinic staff. I truly had a great experience there when I delivered Annabelle, and to top it off my doctor even made it a point to be there and deliver her. That's not something that doctor's do very often. My experience there was satisfying, and empowering. All of my requests were met, everyone was respectful of my wishes, and nobody offered me drugs which was awesome.
Reflecting on my experience at Evergreen, I decided that I really wouldn't mind a repeat of that given all of my anxieties and reservations about the birth center. So, in conclusion to that, I am very glad I made the switch. I have no regrets, and I felt so much better about where I'm delivering my baby. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. At this point as I still deal with some anxiety, I'm just going to try my best to relax, pray, and really try to hear what the Lord has to say to me. This pregnancy has been a huge lesson to me about giving up my fears to Him. I am so far from perfect at this... I struggle daily with fear and anxiety which is NOT of the Lord. I am not to feel this way, but to trust in His plan. So much easier said than done when you're kind of a stubborn control freak... I'll get there some day.
I still whole-heartedly support midwives and their model of care. I think it's a wonderful option for women who want that type of care for a low risk pregnancy, but for some reason it's just not for me, and THAT IS OKAY. I can still have a wonderful birth at the hospital that I like, with a doctor that I like, in the same way that I would choose to deliver at the birth center... a natural unmedicated birth. I know I can do it... I've done it before and I'll do it again.
So, that's my recent change in regards to my pregnancy/birth plan. I am so totally okay with it. I have to go where I feel the most secure and relaxed. That's at Evergreen. As far as baby goes, baby has been doing quite well. I have felt A LOT more kicks lately, and it's wonderful!! I'm loving that!! I also got to see baby kick from outside my belly. That was neat because I have never seen that so early. I believe I was about 21 or 22 weeks before I was able to see Joey kick, and I know I was over 6 months along with Annie before I saw her kicks. This baby is very strong too!!
I've also noticed a lot of braxton hicks contractions, which are totally normal. They might be due to the stress and anxiety I've been feeling lately. I've been trying to rest as much as possible as well as staying very hydrated with water and gatorade. This seems to help, as well as prayer. I have to credit my Bible study that I'm doing right now too. Having something to study and dive into when I need to hear God's holy word has been really helpful to me. I've found a lot of peace in that, and I am so thankful!! Other than that, things seem to be moving right along. Baby is measuring right on schedule and my pregnancy is finally going fairly smoothly at this point... as in right now... today.
SO here's to a smooth, anxiety and stress free pregnancy and delivery. I can't wait to meet this little one, and I do hope everything goes as smoothly as it did with baby's sister. Thanks for reading friends!! God bless!!
After my last visit with the midwife, I had this strange feeling about things... About this birth, about my care... I'm not sure what it was about. But lets just say these last few weeks have been really hard on me emotionally and mentally. For whatever reason, my anxiety level has been through the roof and I've been unable to pinpoint EXACTLY what the cause was. I wasn't sure if maybe the birth center being so close to where my mom died was possibly triggering my PTSD, or if perhaps I just didn't feel it was right for me to be there anymore? I'm not completely sure. But what I did know was that my anxiety was getting out of control. I'm still dealing with it, but I've been praying a lot, talking to God, and trying to decompress my feelings as much as possible.
So, in response to everything I had been feeling and after a lot of thought and a lot of prayer, I decided to switch my care back to my regular OB/GYN. And boy... I let out a huge sigh of relief when I finally got all that out of the way, and I feel even better today since I've been able to go in and talk to my doctor about everything that's been going on. He was so very supportive, and he said that him and his nurse were so excited to have me back. That felt great to hear. I was very worried that my choice to try out something different had hindered my relationship with my doctor and the clinic staff. I truly had a great experience there when I delivered Annabelle, and to top it off my doctor even made it a point to be there and deliver her. That's not something that doctor's do very often. My experience there was satisfying, and empowering. All of my requests were met, everyone was respectful of my wishes, and nobody offered me drugs which was awesome.
Reflecting on my experience at Evergreen, I decided that I really wouldn't mind a repeat of that given all of my anxieties and reservations about the birth center. So, in conclusion to that, I am very glad I made the switch. I have no regrets, and I felt so much better about where I'm delivering my baby. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. At this point as I still deal with some anxiety, I'm just going to try my best to relax, pray, and really try to hear what the Lord has to say to me. This pregnancy has been a huge lesson to me about giving up my fears to Him. I am so far from perfect at this... I struggle daily with fear and anxiety which is NOT of the Lord. I am not to feel this way, but to trust in His plan. So much easier said than done when you're kind of a stubborn control freak... I'll get there some day.
I still whole-heartedly support midwives and their model of care. I think it's a wonderful option for women who want that type of care for a low risk pregnancy, but for some reason it's just not for me, and THAT IS OKAY. I can still have a wonderful birth at the hospital that I like, with a doctor that I like, in the same way that I would choose to deliver at the birth center... a natural unmedicated birth. I know I can do it... I've done it before and I'll do it again.
So, that's my recent change in regards to my pregnancy/birth plan. I am so totally okay with it. I have to go where I feel the most secure and relaxed. That's at Evergreen. As far as baby goes, baby has been doing quite well. I have felt A LOT more kicks lately, and it's wonderful!! I'm loving that!! I also got to see baby kick from outside my belly. That was neat because I have never seen that so early. I believe I was about 21 or 22 weeks before I was able to see Joey kick, and I know I was over 6 months along with Annie before I saw her kicks. This baby is very strong too!!
I've also noticed a lot of braxton hicks contractions, which are totally normal. They might be due to the stress and anxiety I've been feeling lately. I've been trying to rest as much as possible as well as staying very hydrated with water and gatorade. This seems to help, as well as prayer. I have to credit my Bible study that I'm doing right now too. Having something to study and dive into when I need to hear God's holy word has been really helpful to me. I've found a lot of peace in that, and I am so thankful!! Other than that, things seem to be moving right along. Baby is measuring right on schedule and my pregnancy is finally going fairly smoothly at this point... as in right now... today.
SO here's to a smooth, anxiety and stress free pregnancy and delivery. I can't wait to meet this little one, and I do hope everything goes as smoothly as it did with baby's sister. Thanks for reading friends!! God bless!!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
19 weeks
So far things have been going pretty well this week! Not really any complaints here. I've felt a lot more little kicks this week which has been fun for me. I always really enjoy this stage.
I'm having a hard time believing that I'm basically half way done already... assuming I don't go overdue... which is always a possibility. I've never gone overdue, but for some reason I'm just planning on it this time. We'll see though!!
Since it has finally hit me that I'm almost half way done, I've started compiling lists of things to get done before baby arrives. I've made a short list of things we'll need (it's nice that we have pretty much everything this time!!), as well as lists of things to do, lists of things to get rid of, lists of names... just tons of lists it seems like. I'm hoping I can start checking things off of my multiple lists here pretty soon, but we'll see. A lot of this stuff might end up being pushed out to the very end...
Anyway, I had my ultrasound yesterday!! They checked baby's anatomy as well as a few other things. I don't know yet if they were able to see remnants of that hemorrhage or not, but I'm sure if they did see it I will hear about it at my next appointment. As far as I know, baby looked great!! I didn't notice the tech focusing in on anything and she remained chatty with us so that told me that she didn't see anything concerning... Baby had a healthy heart rate of 150 bpm, and baby weighs roughly 9 oz. My smallest one yet at this stage. Joey was 11 oz at 19 weeks and weighed 6 lbs 11 oz at birth. Annabelle weighed 11 oz at 20 weeks and was 7 lbs 5 oz at birth... So I'm interested to see if this baby will be smaller or larger than brother and sister. We'll see!!
It was just really fun to get to see our little one again. It's always amazing to see how much baby has grown in just a few weeks. Baby was pretty stingy with pictures just like sister was. I also noticed that the baby was in a ball for most of the scan. That explains the lack of kicks I've felt!! Sister did the same thing. Annabelle just stayed in a ball most of my pregnancy.
Anyway, all is well with us. Not much new to update on. Here is a picture of our sweet little pumpkin!!
That's baby's hand by his/her mouth. <3 Thanks for reading friends!! God bless!!
I'm having a hard time believing that I'm basically half way done already... assuming I don't go overdue... which is always a possibility. I've never gone overdue, but for some reason I'm just planning on it this time. We'll see though!!
Since it has finally hit me that I'm almost half way done, I've started compiling lists of things to get done before baby arrives. I've made a short list of things we'll need (it's nice that we have pretty much everything this time!!), as well as lists of things to do, lists of things to get rid of, lists of names... just tons of lists it seems like. I'm hoping I can start checking things off of my multiple lists here pretty soon, but we'll see. A lot of this stuff might end up being pushed out to the very end...
Anyway, I had my ultrasound yesterday!! They checked baby's anatomy as well as a few other things. I don't know yet if they were able to see remnants of that hemorrhage or not, but I'm sure if they did see it I will hear about it at my next appointment. As far as I know, baby looked great!! I didn't notice the tech focusing in on anything and she remained chatty with us so that told me that she didn't see anything concerning... Baby had a healthy heart rate of 150 bpm, and baby weighs roughly 9 oz. My smallest one yet at this stage. Joey was 11 oz at 19 weeks and weighed 6 lbs 11 oz at birth. Annabelle weighed 11 oz at 20 weeks and was 7 lbs 5 oz at birth... So I'm interested to see if this baby will be smaller or larger than brother and sister. We'll see!!
It was just really fun to get to see our little one again. It's always amazing to see how much baby has grown in just a few weeks. Baby was pretty stingy with pictures just like sister was. I also noticed that the baby was in a ball for most of the scan. That explains the lack of kicks I've felt!! Sister did the same thing. Annabelle just stayed in a ball most of my pregnancy.
Anyway, all is well with us. Not much new to update on. Here is a picture of our sweet little pumpkin!!
That's baby's hand by his/her mouth. <3 Thanks for reading friends!! God bless!!
Friday, April 19, 2013
17 & 18 weeks
So... 17 weeks. It has kind of been an interesting week. I've been feeling a lot better energy wise... I haven't needed as many naps which has been nice, and I'm finding it much easier to keep up with the house work as well as my kiddos. I haven't really been enjoying food that much lately. For whatever reason I get a really upset stomach REALLY easily lately, so I have to be VERY careful what I eat or I may end up writhing in pain later.
Otherwise, I'm feeling pretty good!! I have finally noticed more distinct gentle kicks and punches lately. It's kind of funny because I was just telling my aunt how this baby just seems to be really quiet. I'm not sure if it's just that I am so busy chasing kids and keeping up with my housework that I haven't really been able to pay much attention to the baby's movements, or if this baby is really just a quiet one. Annie was pretty quiet, but her placenta was in the way so I didn't feel much from her until I was about six months along. This baby has a posterior placenta so I know that's not why I'm not feeling him or her. I was pretty worried for a while thinking that there was something wrong... that's simply because I've always been told that women start to feel their babies moving around sooner and sooner with the more pregnancies they have. So I don't know... I guess it's just because I'm busy and I have a quiet baby. I DID have a cool experience yesterday though... (04/09/2013). I was lying in bed after a nap and had my hand pressed on the left side of my belly. I felt the baby kick, and I think I actually felt a little tap with my hand!! So exciting!!! It happened twice so I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it.
Anyway, that's about it for now. Ultrasound is in a week and a half!! So excited!! Can't wait to see our sweet little baby!! :)
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Week 18... this week has been an interesting one. I haven't felt very well at all. I've been exhausted, and quite sick whenever I eat anything. It was recently brought to my attention that I should get my gallbladder checked out since lately whenever I eat certain foods, I end up feeling intense abdominal pain, back pain, heart burn, nausea/dry heaving, shivering, sweating, etc. It's been miserable. I've had three of these episodes since April 1st. I thought the first one was simply food poisoning, so I didn't think much of it until it happened again, and then again the day after that second episode. So off I went, had some blood work done and scheduled an ultrasound. My blood work came back good, and my ultrasound came back completely clear. However my doctor did say that just because everything looks good (which is great by the way!!) it doesn't mean I'm in the clear for gallbladder issues down the road. At this point all it means is that I don't need to see a surgeon, and I need to watch EVERYTHING I eat. I'm truly hoping this blows over after I have the baby.
Otherwise, things are going pretty well. No complaints other than the food issues... and I'm a little frustrated about my weight gain but that's to be expected. As of now I've gained about ten pounds this pregnancy, and I was about three pounds away from my pre-Annie weight when I became pregnant this time around. But for some reason this time it just feels like I'm gaining fat. Maybe I'm a little overly critical of myself... so chances are I probably look better to other people than I actually think I look. I've started doing little exercises around my house so hopefully that helps a bit. When I get the results of my next ultrasound I plan to start using my treadmill at least every other day, if not every day for at least 30 minutes. Since I had that hemorrhage behind the placenta I've been a little reluctant to do much in the way of strenuous exercise... so when my midwife gives me the go ahead I'm hoping that some time on the treadmill will help to slow down my weight gain as well as help to tone me up a little.
My baby's anatomy scan is on Monday morning, so I'm really excited to see our little baby again. It's going to be fun to see all the changes since the last ultrasound. I'll be sure to update again after that appointment... and include some pictures! My next appointment with the midwife is on May 8th, so until then I'll be busying myself with birthday planning for Mr. Joey! It's hard for me to believe that I will have a four year old next month. So crazy!!! Time is going by way too fast. Anyway, thanks for reading friends!! God bless!!
Otherwise, I'm feeling pretty good!! I have finally noticed more distinct gentle kicks and punches lately. It's kind of funny because I was just telling my aunt how this baby just seems to be really quiet. I'm not sure if it's just that I am so busy chasing kids and keeping up with my housework that I haven't really been able to pay much attention to the baby's movements, or if this baby is really just a quiet one. Annie was pretty quiet, but her placenta was in the way so I didn't feel much from her until I was about six months along. This baby has a posterior placenta so I know that's not why I'm not feeling him or her. I was pretty worried for a while thinking that there was something wrong... that's simply because I've always been told that women start to feel their babies moving around sooner and sooner with the more pregnancies they have. So I don't know... I guess it's just because I'm busy and I have a quiet baby. I DID have a cool experience yesterday though... (04/09/2013). I was lying in bed after a nap and had my hand pressed on the left side of my belly. I felt the baby kick, and I think I actually felt a little tap with my hand!! So exciting!!! It happened twice so I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it.
Anyway, that's about it for now. Ultrasound is in a week and a half!! So excited!! Can't wait to see our sweet little baby!! :)
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Week 18... this week has been an interesting one. I haven't felt very well at all. I've been exhausted, and quite sick whenever I eat anything. It was recently brought to my attention that I should get my gallbladder checked out since lately whenever I eat certain foods, I end up feeling intense abdominal pain, back pain, heart burn, nausea/dry heaving, shivering, sweating, etc. It's been miserable. I've had three of these episodes since April 1st. I thought the first one was simply food poisoning, so I didn't think much of it until it happened again, and then again the day after that second episode. So off I went, had some blood work done and scheduled an ultrasound. My blood work came back good, and my ultrasound came back completely clear. However my doctor did say that just because everything looks good (which is great by the way!!) it doesn't mean I'm in the clear for gallbladder issues down the road. At this point all it means is that I don't need to see a surgeon, and I need to watch EVERYTHING I eat. I'm truly hoping this blows over after I have the baby.
Otherwise, things are going pretty well. No complaints other than the food issues... and I'm a little frustrated about my weight gain but that's to be expected. As of now I've gained about ten pounds this pregnancy, and I was about three pounds away from my pre-Annie weight when I became pregnant this time around. But for some reason this time it just feels like I'm gaining fat. Maybe I'm a little overly critical of myself... so chances are I probably look better to other people than I actually think I look. I've started doing little exercises around my house so hopefully that helps a bit. When I get the results of my next ultrasound I plan to start using my treadmill at least every other day, if not every day for at least 30 minutes. Since I had that hemorrhage behind the placenta I've been a little reluctant to do much in the way of strenuous exercise... so when my midwife gives me the go ahead I'm hoping that some time on the treadmill will help to slow down my weight gain as well as help to tone me up a little.
My baby's anatomy scan is on Monday morning, so I'm really excited to see our little baby again. It's going to be fun to see all the changes since the last ultrasound. I'll be sure to update again after that appointment... and include some pictures! My next appointment with the midwife is on May 8th, so until then I'll be busying myself with birthday planning for Mr. Joey! It's hard for me to believe that I will have a four year old next month. So crazy!!! Time is going by way too fast. Anyway, thanks for reading friends!! God bless!!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
16 weeks
Well, I'm officially 16 weeks now! This pregnancy is seriously flying by so fast. I can't believe it. I really feels like a couple of weeks ago that I had just found out about this sweet news. Now we're almost half way done!!! So crazy...
Anyway, so far things are going pretty well. Nothing to complain about really. I've noticed some sciatic nerve pain here and there, but it's not constant like it was with Joey so it's very manageable. My symptoms remain pretty much the same... however my hunger issue has subsided significantly. I'm able to eat normal meals now without feeling hungry ten minutes later. I'm still very tired, but I've found some balance in my day to day activities so that I can get some rest during the day. If I plan things right, I can usually get a nice long nap squeezed in if Annie will go to sleep at the perfect time when Joey gets sleepy... so I get Joey snuggles and a nap all in one! :)
One thing I've noticed every now and again lately, is that I've felt "tapping" which I'm quite certain is coming from my sweet little womb tenant. For the most part, I still feel fluttering, but I think baby is getting larger and stronger now to where I am starting to feel distinct little kicks and punches. I thought for sure I'd feel a lot more of that by now, but I think chasing around two kiddos and keeping up with the housework makes me a little less in tune with what baby might be doing in there.
Another interesting little tidbit... Braxton Hicks contractions. Yes, I've already started to feel them!! And wow... they are quite a bit stronger this time than I remember in the past. I had heard about women having a lot of "false labor" with subsequent pregnancies, and I have also heard that Braxton Hick's can be quite a bit stronger with the more babies you have, but I guess I didn't think they'd start out this early and be this strong. Don't get me wrong, they aren't strong enough to cause me pain... I know what a painful contraction feels like, and these aren't painful... the best way to describe these contractions is that they cause A LOT of "tightening" and pressure in my abdomen. I just don't recall feeling Braxton Hick's contractions that were this strong until way later in pregnancy.
When I asked my midwife about it she said it was completely normal... and that these things may begin to hurt when I hit my third trimester. Jeff's mom had said the same thing about them hurting later in pregnancy, so that was something I kind of expected to happen. She also said that they have a lot of mom's who are on their third, fourth, fifth, etc. pregnancies who have a lot of false alarms. My only thoughts on this... hopefully I figure it out quickly when real labor starts so that I don't end up having my baby at home... by myself... or in the car... or at the store... or the movies or something ridiculous!! Okay so I probably won't be at the store or the movies. I might be at the mall though. ;) Just given my history of quick labors, I will probably be keeping a close eye on these contractions once my baby is considered "term."
Anyway... not much else to report on. My appointment yesterday with Darlene (my midwife) went really well. We did some more blood work, she took my vitals, checked to see that baby's little home was growing appropriately... and then she checked the heart beat!! I sure love hearing my baby's heart beat. It's always music to my ears. We could even hear baby moving around in there so that was fun!! Joey went with me to the appointment too, and again he was right up there with my midwife listening intently... He loves to check on the baby.
Sooooo yeah. That's about all for now! I have my anatomy scan on the 22nd of this month, so it will be fun to see our little one again! I know Joey's going to love it! It's a little different this time since we aren't finding out the gender of our baby... I'm excited for my scan, it's just kind of nice because the anticipation isn't killing me like it did with my first two. I'm hoping and praying that the tech doesn't forget and accidentally show us the gender. I would honestly be really sad that my surprise would be ruined. Obviously I would be over the moon about having a baby, but I have always hoped I'd get to experience a "surprise" baby and wait to find out what our baby was until the birth. So hopefully that all pans out the way I have been hoping. As for Jeff... it was quite a battle to get him on board with me. Now he just takes pleasure in the fact that people are getting frustrated that we aren't finding out the gender, so nobody knows what to buy for baby. At least that keeps him entertained while we wait! :)
Anyways, I hope everyone is having a good week!! Look for another update in 2-3 ish weeks!! God bless, dear friends!!
Anyway, so far things are going pretty well. Nothing to complain about really. I've noticed some sciatic nerve pain here and there, but it's not constant like it was with Joey so it's very manageable. My symptoms remain pretty much the same... however my hunger issue has subsided significantly. I'm able to eat normal meals now without feeling hungry ten minutes later. I'm still very tired, but I've found some balance in my day to day activities so that I can get some rest during the day. If I plan things right, I can usually get a nice long nap squeezed in if Annie will go to sleep at the perfect time when Joey gets sleepy... so I get Joey snuggles and a nap all in one! :)
One thing I've noticed every now and again lately, is that I've felt "tapping" which I'm quite certain is coming from my sweet little womb tenant. For the most part, I still feel fluttering, but I think baby is getting larger and stronger now to where I am starting to feel distinct little kicks and punches. I thought for sure I'd feel a lot more of that by now, but I think chasing around two kiddos and keeping up with the housework makes me a little less in tune with what baby might be doing in there.
Another interesting little tidbit... Braxton Hicks contractions. Yes, I've already started to feel them!! And wow... they are quite a bit stronger this time than I remember in the past. I had heard about women having a lot of "false labor" with subsequent pregnancies, and I have also heard that Braxton Hick's can be quite a bit stronger with the more babies you have, but I guess I didn't think they'd start out this early and be this strong. Don't get me wrong, they aren't strong enough to cause me pain... I know what a painful contraction feels like, and these aren't painful... the best way to describe these contractions is that they cause A LOT of "tightening" and pressure in my abdomen. I just don't recall feeling Braxton Hick's contractions that were this strong until way later in pregnancy.
When I asked my midwife about it she said it was completely normal... and that these things may begin to hurt when I hit my third trimester. Jeff's mom had said the same thing about them hurting later in pregnancy, so that was something I kind of expected to happen. She also said that they have a lot of mom's who are on their third, fourth, fifth, etc. pregnancies who have a lot of false alarms. My only thoughts on this... hopefully I figure it out quickly when real labor starts so that I don't end up having my baby at home... by myself... or in the car... or at the store... or the movies or something ridiculous!! Okay so I probably won't be at the store or the movies. I might be at the mall though. ;) Just given my history of quick labors, I will probably be keeping a close eye on these contractions once my baby is considered "term."
Anyway... not much else to report on. My appointment yesterday with Darlene (my midwife) went really well. We did some more blood work, she took my vitals, checked to see that baby's little home was growing appropriately... and then she checked the heart beat!! I sure love hearing my baby's heart beat. It's always music to my ears. We could even hear baby moving around in there so that was fun!! Joey went with me to the appointment too, and again he was right up there with my midwife listening intently... He loves to check on the baby.
Sooooo yeah. That's about all for now! I have my anatomy scan on the 22nd of this month, so it will be fun to see our little one again! I know Joey's going to love it! It's a little different this time since we aren't finding out the gender of our baby... I'm excited for my scan, it's just kind of nice because the anticipation isn't killing me like it did with my first two. I'm hoping and praying that the tech doesn't forget and accidentally show us the gender. I would honestly be really sad that my surprise would be ruined. Obviously I would be over the moon about having a baby, but I have always hoped I'd get to experience a "surprise" baby and wait to find out what our baby was until the birth. So hopefully that all pans out the way I have been hoping. As for Jeff... it was quite a battle to get him on board with me. Now he just takes pleasure in the fact that people are getting frustrated that we aren't finding out the gender, so nobody knows what to buy for baby. At least that keeps him entertained while we wait! :)
Anyways, I hope everyone is having a good week!! Look for another update in 2-3 ish weeks!! God bless, dear friends!!
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