Still Pregnant

I'm 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant and I'm trying to enjoy these last few days because I know our lives will soon change, again, very drastically.  As much as I know there will be sleepless nights, difficult feedings and messy diapers, I just want to have my body back.  I hope that isn't too selfish but I am as big as a house (see evidence below) and so uncomfortable...though I don't think I'm nearly as uncomfortable as when I was pregnant with my son because I'm not as swollen.

So, we had a doctor's appointment yesterday and my doctor is sending us to the hospital Saturday morning, my due date, for a NST and if everything looks good I have already scheduled another doctor's appointment for a week from today.  She said otherwise, she will just induce me on Saturday.  I am not a fan of being induced - I was with my son but it was 5 days after my due date and it went smoothly - especially for being my first pregnancy.  I have this strange feeling that she is just going to induce me Saturday no matter what the results of the NST are because a) she is working on-call at the hospital this entire weekend, therefore she would be the one to deliver me and b) she told me she isn't going to let me go more than a week past my due date.

We'll see how the rest of this week goes.  I would love for my baby girl to show up via her own schedule so I will be continuing my long walks with my son every day and praying that she comes soon! 

Not Ready

Had my weekly OB/GYN appointment today and I am 1 and 1/2 cm dialated and baby's head is very, very low...so now I'm starting to freak out!  I guess it just didn't hit me until today's appointment that I don't have very long left until baby girl arrives!  I haven't packed my hospital bag and there are a few more things I want to hang in her room plus I feel like she isn't going to have enough to wear since I don't have many newborn clothes and my doctor thinks she will be between 7 and 8 pounds.  Ugh.  I don't know why all of a sudden I'm worrying about these things?

The biggest thing I am worried about is my son.  I keep thinking I have so much more time with just him at home than I actually do.  I want to make sure every day we do something fun and exciting, yet I'm so big and exhausted that it takes all my energy to play cars and trains with him in the family room...let alone taking him to the zoo and walking for 2 and 1/2 hours (which I did yesterday and am paying for today!).  I just want to make the arrival of his baby sister a joyous and fun event for him!  Luckily, my husband will be home for the two weeks following baby girl's birth, so our son will have undivided attention from at least one of us most of the time.

I don't remember what my life was like before my brother was born when I was 3 and 1/2 so I am assuming our son won't remember his life before his sister, but I still have some mommy-guilt like I'm completely turning his world upside-down over night.  He is such a good little boy and I just hope he adapts well to his baby sister.  I think he will eventually...let's just hope it's sooner rather than later!  :)

My doctor insists he doesn't think I'll make it to my due date (May 1st) so if you all of a sudden don't see any posts, or more shockingly, any tweets from me...then I'm probably in labor!  I don't have a fancy phone so I won't be updating Twitter (have no clue how to do that from my phone) and I may update Facebook, but definitely not my blog, until I return.

Wish me luck in these last few weeks and if you have more than one child, maybe you could share with me some ways to make our transition easier!

36 Weeks and the Belly Bandit

Well, we made it to the 36-week-pregnant mark and now I'm starting to remember my first pregnancy!  Ugh.  Baby girl has definitely dropped a little and I'm in full-force waddle mode.  I get uncomfortable in every position of standing/sitting/sleeping and I can eat only small amounts at a time.  She is still moving and kicking though, so that is what matters though my heartburn still hasn't subsided.  I'm assuming that will just remain with me until I deliver. 

So, I'm thinking of getting a Belly Bandit.  Has anyone purchased and used one before?  Do they work?  I'm just wanting to get back into shape as quickly as possible after this pregnancy as it took me two years with my last pregnancy and that just isn't acceptable! 

I think I had a bit of PPD with my first too and am hoping it is either not an issue this time or is less severe so I can get back into the swing of things.  I think having a spring baby instead of a late fall baby will help too as I'll be able to get outside and see people/do things.

Anyway, if you have used the Belly Bandit, could you let me know what you thought of it?  Waste of money?  Really helped? 

Thanks!  Enjoy your Easter weekend!

Good News!

Had my OB/GYN appointment this morning and my doctor reassured us that our baby girl's kidney issue was a) probably going to correct itself if it is a kink (which he feels it most likely is and he said it is more common in girls) and b) if it is a blockage of some sort, it is completely fixable at a later date and that my pediatrician will at least know now before any infection, etc.  So, we are feeling a lot better about it, but if you are a parent you know how it feels to have anything unexpected happen when it comes to your child(ren).

On a much happier note...and a surprise note...my parents and brother came down to watch our son while we went to the doctor and when we got back from the appointment, my mom said she wanted to go with me to pick out a new diaper bag (my one splurge for this baby since she already has hand-me-down swing, bouncer, clothes, etc.).  I found one (will post pic tomorrow, so cute!) but then she insisted that she and my dad wanted to buy us the stroller I wanted!  What?!!?  How awesome!  I felt bad accepting, but she really wanted to do this so we got the Sit N Stand since my son doesn't stay in his current stroller very long anymore.  I figured this way, when I take them to the zoo, park, mall, whatever, he can just hop in and out and I won't have to worry about it.

Anyway, I'm off to bed after such a busy day!  Hoping you all have wonderful weekends! 

Tired, thirsty and feeling big!

I'm almost 35 weeks pregnant and I'm almost miserable.  I'm constantly tired, always overly thirsty and in general, just feeling large, blobish and I waddle everywhere.  I must have blocked this portion of my first pregnancy out of my mind, because I honestly don't remember being this tired when I was pregnant with my son.  I remember not being able to sleep actually, but with this pregnancy I sleep at night but I am tired all day!  Probably has something to do with trying to keep up with my almost 2 and 1/2 year old son, but man, I'm spent by 7pm.  And the endless thirst?!?!  What the heck?!?!  I can't get enough to drink!  I drink so much water daily now that I feel as if I'm going to float away...but I'm still thirsty.  And right now, I'm going to have to drink some water before heading to bed, which is not a good idea, I know, seeing as it means I will be up all night peeing, but I can't handle how parched I am!  I definitely don't think this happened to me during my first pregnancy!  I'm less bloated this time as I just had to take off my wedding rings this week whereas with my son I think I was still in my second trimester when I took them off!

Okay, I have vented enough...have another OB/GYN appointment tomorrow and hubby is going so we can talk more with my doctor about the ultrasound results from last week.  Hopefully, everything goes well!  I'm off to bed...well, right after I drink some more water and waddle up the stairs!  :)

My Baby Girl

So, last Friday at my regular OB/GYN appointment, my doctor told me she would like me to get another ultrasound.  Now, if you've ever been pregnant, when you hear your doctor say those words, panic usually takes over...and for me, it did.  She then said she was reviewing my files before she came in and noticed at my 20 week ultrasound that the tech mentioned that my placenta was low-lying.  Since she didn't specifically measure how far away from my cervix the placenta was, my doctor wanted me to get another ultrasound to have them measure exactly how far it was.  Phew...okay, I can handle that news, is what I thought.  Worse case scenario is that I have to have a C-Section, right?  I didn't have one with my son, but that is okay, it is not my ideal situation but I was prepared to handle it. 

Then she said she also wanted them to check my baby's kidneys.  Ugh.  Knife to the heart.  What?  Why?  Nobody had mentioned anything to me before about her kidneys.  I had been there MANY times since my December ultrasound and seen all three doctors in the practice...none of them had mentioned anything about my daughter's kidneys!  She said that at my 20 week ultrasound the tech also documented that there was a bit of fluid in the kidneys and my doctor said it usually goes away and is nothing to worry about, but that she wanted to have an ultrasound to re-check them.  Okay, I worried about it for a while but when you have a 2 year old wanting your attention, you kind of put it to the back of your mind.  I prayed every night that everything would be okay with my baby and that if anything had to be wrong, please let it be with me, not her.

We had our ultrasound yesterday and my placenta is fine, but her left kidney has fluid in it.  Ugh, I lost it.  My husband was there with me and luckily the tech left for a minute and I just started crying.  I know, I'm pregnant and the hormones are crazy-out-of-control but I was so upset.  I feel like it is something I did, even though I know that is ridiculous to think.  We met with a doctor afterward who assured us that her other kidney was functioning at 100% and she was urinating fine, etc. so there was enough amniotic fluid around her and she was fine.  The doctor said that it was likely one of two things...either a kink in the vessel that takes urine to the bladder, thus causing a backup of liquid in her kidney or there was a faulty valve between her bladder and her left kidney.  She said that after she is born, my doctor will refer us to a specialist and they will determine whether/when surgery is necessary.  I am just picturing my little baby girl having to undergo surgery and it is an awful feeling.  BUT, the doctor said that she is fine.

Thank GOODNESS my doctor caught this, is all I can think!  I am glad I know this information now instead of when my daugher is having a urinary tract infection, which is what can happen if this goes un-checked, and she could possibly have lost the kidney if she kept having infections and we didn't catch them, etc.  So, I am glad to be informed, just feel awful for my little girl. 

I just needed to get this out because I'm just a wreck about it inside.  I'm a natural-born-worrier so it doesn't surprise me that I'm so emotional about this and my husband is feeling much better after meeting with the doctor yesterday.  I'm feeling better about it too, just having trouble knowing our baby may have to have surgery while she is so tiny. 

One good thing came yesterday though...when the tech was doing the ultrasound, she was showing us our baby's head and she was head down, which is good at 33+ weeks and she was looking sideways kind of...so we could see her face on the monitor!  It seriously took my breath away!  I didn't have an ultrasound this late in my son's pregnancy, so it was just amazing to see her little face there looking at us.  She was blinking and moving her lips and nose.  I teared up and was just so happy to see her.  She has chubby cheeks already!  It is just so hard to picture a full-grown baby inside of me, even this being my second pregnancy and to see her face filled me with so much love.  Maybe that is why I'm so emotional about her kidney...I know picture her face when I think of her...not just a little bean.

Please keep us in your prayers!

New Pains

So, this pregnancy has not been the easiest for me and Tuesday night another fun thing popped up!  I now either have a pinched nerve of some sort on the left side of my lower back or some mystery symptom that is making my life even more fun!  As if the shortness of breath, heartburn, exhaustion and inability to eat more than a few bites wasn't enough right now, I have this random shooting pain (I get it whether sitting or standing and have no warning when it is about to happen) that radiates from my lower back and goes down my leg and up my back.  It is sometimes debilitating...and I have a 2 year old to run after!

Yesterday, I took Nolan to a gym and he kept jumping in the foam block pits they had...just a week ago when we went I was able to bend over and get him out if he was stuck, or even get into the pit a little and get him out.  Not yesterday!  Luckily, a few moms and a dad who were there stepped in to help him a few times but I still have two months of this pregnancy left!  I am so upset about this new development because it is going to limit what I can and cannot do with my son!  I want to enjoy these last few weeks with him and though I listed all of those other issues, I was able to function and do pretty much whatever I wanted to with Nolan.  Ugh.  I have my next doctor's appointment next Friday, but may have to call them sooner to see what I can do.  A few friends have mentioned a chiropractor and massage...so those may be options too...please pray this nerve just miraculously comes un-pinched or if it isn't that, please pray this mystery pain goes away on its' own VERY soon!!!

We're in the Home Stretch!

Had my first bi-monthly OB/GYN checkup today...I'm officially 30 weeks, 3 days, but I think my due date is incorrect by about a week.  Anyway, I can't believe how quickly the second trimester flew by!  Probably because the first trimester was so long due to severe sickness and the boredom as a result of the sickness. 

We still have so much to do before our baby arrives and I don't know when it is going to be completed!  Her room is driving me crazy!  My husband doesn't understand how badly I want it completely done and set up...he's worrying about building a freakin' cedar closet in the basement!  Hello?  I could care less about that right now!  We have a baby coming and nothing done to her room but paint...well, we have the furniture in the room, but I don't like how it's set up, and probably never will...just no good way to place everything.  AND, we are both accounting-types so we have no clue how to decorate or arrange furniture.  I wish I did because I LOVE decorating/organization/etc.  Hoping to take a class or two on those subjects someday!  I digress...so I am going to spend some of my Mommy Bonus this week/weekend and purchase curtain rods for both of the children's rooms.  I bought curtains last weekend, so we're making progress!

Now, if only the weather would warm up I'd be a very happy Mommy!  Too bad it's supposed to snow this weekend...ugh...I dislike MI winters!

Special Moments

There are some days when admittedly, I would just like to lay on the couch all day and do nothing.  But most days I resign myself to at least mustering up the energy to take a shower and get myself and Nolan dressed...even if we go nowhere that day.

Then there are days when I am totally motivated to clean and cook and play, etc.  A few days ago we were prepared to go to the grocery store to pick up some much needed items for the rest of the week and weekend.  I stopped to look in the mirror and did not recognize myself.  As previously noted, I don't like being pregnant, and I just feel like a huge blob.  Nolan either doesn't seem to realize that his mother is all of a sudden as big as an elephant (his favorite animal nonetheless) or he is politely choosing to ignore this fact.  I am not a big take-a-ton-of-photos-of-myself-while-I'm-pregnant kind of person and didn't take that many when I was pregnant with Nolan.  I hadn't taken any yet of me this pregnancy and decided I had better do so just in case I felt some inkling of regret years down the road when my daughter asks to see them.  So, I begrugingly went and got the camera and tried to look my happiest pregnant self...no luck.  I was about to just do it later when Nolan came in, climbed up on his stool, put his hand on my belly and said "baby".  I just about lost it.  He's said it before but it was exactly what I needed to remind myself of the wonderful gift God has given to me, and only me.  I have the wonderful pleasure of bringing another little life into our beautiful family!  I managed to get a few photos, but none are spectacular.  I was teary-eyed and recently out of the shower, but I won't forget that I took the baby weight off before and I will do it again...but I'll never be able to re-do this pregnancy. 

Here's to weekly photo-taking!  Even if I don't like what I look like now, I love what my body is able to do!

Pregnancy & Mommy Monkey...they don't mix well

Most women LOVE and I mean LOVE being pregnant...not me.  I love my son and I love my unborn daughter, but I would much rather just skip this whole pregnancy thing.  I have every pregnancy-related issue known to man, and I still have 11-12 weeks left!  I would even just skip to the actual delivery if I could...I actually loved delivering my son and wouldn't trade for anything the first moment I held him and looked into his eyes when he was placed on my chest right after birth.  It is something that still makes me teary.  I just am tired of heartburn, exhaustion, dry skin, backaches, hair growing out of control and on and on.  Does this make me a horrible person?  I hope not because I just adore my family...would just like to skip the 10 months of pregnancy...yes, it's 10 folks...at least the last time I looked 40 weeks doesn't equal 9 months!  Okay, that's my rant for the day.  Back to your regularly scheduled lives!