18 weeks

 The second picture was taken because Bunny watched me make my 18 weeks sign and made one of our own for us to display in a second set of photographs.  We quite willingly obliged her.  What a cutie, already doing what she can for her little sibling! She's so, SO excited to be a big sister and to have a baby in the family!

I think the thing that best personifies this past week is that I'm feeling great! I feel like 90%-95% myself.

I also finally had the energy to actually write a grocery list and shop with a plan.  Haven't done that for awhile!

The baby's up to 10-15 perceived movements each day.  As he or she moves I start to feel more bonded to him or her.  My love seems to finally be growing a bit more each day. 

I'm still sleepy by the evenings, but I can stay up until at least 8.  I'm no longer able to always stay up til Dave comes home, though.  That was nice when it happened a few weeks ago, but exhaustion is hitting again.

Bacon is my favorite this week.  It makes the perfect before-bed snack.

My varicose veins are ridiculous.  Especially in my right ankle, where they started off as spider veins thanks to Bunny.  Now, my ankle is twice its normal size thanks to the bulgy veins, and there is a spot in the inner calf and behind the knee of the same leg that are also starting to bulge. It's only in the ankle that I actually feel some discomfort, though.

I'm trying some gluten free grains.  Not sure if they're working or not.  I don't feel as good after eating them as I do when I'm grain free, but I'm really missing grains so it might be worth it.  We'll see.

I think it's been about 4 weeks since I've thrown up.  Woo hoo!

I don't know if I'm actually gaining weight yet but a couple of skirts I bought a few weeks ago that were loose, now fit me nicely so I'm suspecting that I have.  My midwife says I should by my next appointment which will be February 21st.  

Flexible Sigmoidoscopy

Yesterday I had my flexible sigmoidoscopy to investigate where all the blood in my stool was coming from during my first trimester.  The results were good.  Everything they saw looked very normal and healthy.  Now, they want to do a full colonoscopy on me in about 8 months, which means that in 8 months my 2 or 3 month old will have to go 24 hours without breastfeeding.  That scares me more than anything, but I guess I can't borrow tomorrow's trouble. 

So, things went well, overall.  First of all, my school ended up having a snow day so I didn't actually use the sick day I requested.  That was great!

My Flex Sig was scheduled for 9:35, and I'd gotten special permission from the GI nurse to eat all morning because I wouldn't agree to the proceedure without being able to do so.  I just didn't want a repeat of the whole dehydration and vomiting episode that happend back at about 7 weeks.  Well, apparently somethign was lost in translation because my GI doctor about fainted when he saw me eating an apple.  I reminded him that I told the nurse exactly everything that I eat in a morning and that I had to be able to continue that way or not have the proceedure and that she'd gotten back to me and said it would be fine.  He then told me that I was allowed a liquid diet in the 2 hours prior to the proceedure.   He decided that we'd have to wait 2 hours to do it, and then I took a swig of liquid and he glared at me.  I was confused since he'd said I could have a liquid diet.  Apparently he meant up until 2 hours before. 
      "I don't think I can do that." I said.  "So what if I vomit.  I'll be awake, it's not like I'll aspirate if I'm awake."  But he was really uncomfortable proceeding so I agreed to stop drinking too and they gave me an IV of fluids and electrolytes while I bit my tongue and tried to hold off the nausea.  They also decided that some Zofran through the IV would be a good idea as well.  I had some pills in my purse but apparently it's more potent through an IV.  So, I grabbed my knitting (I knit some adorable newborn longies for a friend and now I'm making some shorties for my baby) and prepared to wait it out. 

      Two hours went by much more quickly than I'd imagined they would and I got to know most of the nurses pretty well.  My doctor walked by and saw me knitting, and worried that I'd freak out during the proceedure told me that I should knit while he worked, but since I was following a cable pattern and I knew I'd be on my side, I decided it wouldn't be possible.  I thought it was funny, though, how worried he was that I wouldn't be able to handle it.  Didn't really help my anticipation, but I tried not to think about it.

What I did discover during those two hours without anything going into my stomach was that an IV with electrolytes made me feel amazingly well.  I kind of wish I could just get my fluids intravenously throughout the remainder of my pregnancy since I have so much trouble with gas bubbles and ensuing nausea every time I drink but I realize that isn't really a viable option.  I also started peeing a LOT and they consequently lowered the speed at which I was being fed fluids. 

I was the last patient that morning to get treated and it was nice to finally be alone in the surgery prep room with just the nurses.  I had more privacy and got more one-on-one attention.  When I came to a stopping point in my cable pattern in the shorties, I picked up my copy of "The Fellowship of the Ring," and tried to soldier through the prologue about the history of the hobbits. 

At one point my doctor had me sign this form and it mentioned something about the chance of "spontaneous abortion" during the proceedure which he glossed over quickly like it was nothing but of course gave me cause to pause and reconsider.  When he assured me that the chance of that was one in a million and that it would probably be caused by something like aspiration or excessive coughing that would cause distress to the fetus, I decided I would be okay to go with the proceedure, though I did feel some guilt for doing so.  I just prayed God would keep our little precious safe and sound. 

The proceedure itself was pretty fascinating.  I put my book aside and watched the screen as he explored my lower intestines.  It wasn't really painful at all, though there was some discomfort involved.  As I said before, everything was super healthy and the bleeding has gone away at this point so we don't really know if it was hemarroids or fissures but it doesn't really matter because what they were looking for was cancer or polyps. 

After the proceedure as I signed some last papers and got dressed I asked the nurses if they could bring in a doppler to check my baby's heartbeat.  The "spontaneous abortion" bit had me a little paranoid.  They aren't maternity nurses so they hadn't really used the doppler much but they found the heartbeat immediately.  Then, because I was still controlling and afraid they checked this heartbeat against mine to make sure they really had the baby's heartbeat and not the placenta.  With Bunny, my placenta must have been in the front because they always got that first in the OB office, but with Baby #2, that doesn't seem to be the case.  I don't think we've ever found the placenta's pulse when looking for him/her. 

Anyway, that was that.  I was fine, the baby was fine, I got some knitting done, had lovely conversation with some nurses, and read some of Tolkein and then I got to go home and be with my family.  Actually, we went to the butcher shop first to stock up on some meat (I think we're good for a week or two now :-D) and then to Cracker Barrel for some family time before going home and napping til about 4:30.  Actually, Bunny and I laid in bed and rested but Dave NAPPED--boy did he nap! 

All in all, it was a good, good day.  :-D

17 weeks

My 17th week was my first mostly positive week since being pregnant.  I was able to stay up almost every night until Dave came home, I actually left the house and hung out with people, and I had moments where I felt almost 100% human.  Now, in the beginning of my 18th week, I've regressed a bit, but that's okay.  Each good day (and the bad ones too) are a gift from God.  I'm just trying to see it that way.

I bought some long, peasant skirts at Rue21 a couple of weeks ago and I bought them in XL so I'd grow into them, but as this pregnancy has gone I've only lost weight and not gained it thus far so the skirts sagged and dragged on the ground.  But this week, I noticed that my growing girth finally held them up! Yipee! I haven't weighed myself, but I'm guessing I may have added some pounds finally.  My midwife said I'd gain 4-6 pounds between now and my next appointment towards the end of February.

I'm still on the same weird diet.  I still have trouble if I divert from it for more than a few bites.  Even a couple of bites can sometimes throw me into a few hours of sleepiness.

Baby movement is becoming more pronounced.  It's not necessarily more or less movement than it was between 13 and 14 weeks, but it is more pronounced.  I feel so much closer to the baby as a human being when he or she moves.

I'm sort of hoping for a girl for the logistics of things.  We could turn the spare room into a playroom rather than another bedroom if it were a girl, and that would help streamline the organization of the house.  Of course, I'd love a boy too.  Everyone else is pushing for a boy. 

I'm still lounging around watching more tv with Bunny than I'd like, but I'm kind of resigned to that.  Even when I'm feeling well, I'm not usually up to the sort of play she prefers.  Dave and I have noticed that I am her snuggler, and we snuggle ALL THE TIME, and he is her jungle gym.  It's nice, though, because this pregnancy has allowed her to bond with her father in a way she hadn't before.  I'm sure it's just the breastfeeding thing, but she has been so attached to me since birth that it was pretty much me or nothing and she only wanted Dave when I wasn't around.  Now, she wants him for certain things and me for others.  She's learned how things need to function with me in my delicate state and has easily and happily adapted. 
She has really integrated pregnancy into her play a lot.  All of her dollies are becoming big sisters too, and sometimes one of them or her will be sick because "they have a baby in their tummy."  All her dollies get to experience all the things she experiences.  I love how I get to see the world through her eyes that way. 

And my goodness, but isn't she so much fun to listen to! She lets me sit while she plays and fabricates stories that may or may not involve me.  I listen and interact verbally and just laugh and laugh at her antics and her creativity.  It's amazing.  I just fall in love with her more and more every day. 

This week, Dave didn't have to wake up and get me food at all.  There were even mornings where I didn't eat until I'd been up awhile.  Again, that is an area where I've regressed, now that I'm halfway into my 18th week, but still, it gives me hope.

Noelle likes to nurse her dollies lately.  She informed me that she would help me nurse the baby when s/he comes, and I had to tell her that only I can nurse the baby because God hasn't given her milk yet and he will when she gets her own babies.  

16 weeks

Towards the end of this week, things started getting exponentially better.  Now, of course, this doesn't mean the "morning sickness" is over, but it has subsided to a more manageable level.

I am still limited to meats, fruits, and veggies--oh, and popcorn--weird, but it's true. 

I started doing some new things this week--like actually hanging out with people, doing some shopping, and even visiting my hubby at work.  I've been so STARVED for that.  Also, I stayed up and waited for Dave to come home (at around 8:30-9:00) three nights this week! This means that I not only slept solidly through the night, but that I also started experiencing exhaustion through the day since I cut my hours of sleep down from 10-12 to 6-8.  It's okay.  I'll take that for much needed time for my husband.

I'm still feeling the baby move, and it's intermittent.  One day I'll feel him/her lots and then I won't feel any movement for a few days.  I think I only feel the really big movements.

I went to see my midwife this week and we heard the heartbeat again.  It was still strong and fast, just as it should be and this time she didn't have to go searching around for it.  It came up on the sonogram (is that what it is called?) right away.

I have tried a few foods that are really off limits, but they mostly continue to be off limits, unless I eat small amounts before bed because I'll be resting then anyway.

This has been one of the best weeks so far.  It really has! I'm starting to return to my normal self, and to be a bit more productive.  I even have a few craft projects going again, and if you know me, you know that's a good sign! I'm not myself unless I'm sewing or knitting!

15 Weeks

More throwing up--Saturday into Sunday.  It coincided with Noelle getting a stomach bug so I wonder if I got the bug and didn't realize it because my body already feels sick.

I had a couple of days where I felt GREAT--like %90- %95 my normal self.  I even went crazy cleaning the house a couple of times.  It didn't last long, like it normally does when I'm healthy, but it was enough to be encouraging.

I tried sneaking in some chocolate and cereal, and it made me feel sick again.  It's definitely not worth feeling terribly to try to eat the foods I love.  Not at all.

I found that I can eat baked plantains, so I'm gonna have to go get and make more of those.  Maybe that means I can eat my baked sweet potato fries again.  They weren't agreeing with me there for awhile, but that was back when almost nothing did.

I'm peeing more frequently, but not a lot at a time.

My stool is very soft and regular--gross, I know, but very pertinent to this pregnancy.

I'm starting to get some varicose veins popping out in my ankle.  These are the same ones that started with Noelle, but they're getting worse.  I wear knee high support hose every day and long skirts to hide the ugliness of them.  I can't wear full length hose because the pressure on my stomach would make my morning sickness worse, but I also can't find thigh high support hose so far.  I need to look more but feeling ill as I do, it's not a huge priority to go traipsing around on errands such as those.

14 Weeks

Things are steadily improving this week and I'm SO HAPPY to finally be in the second trimester!!!

I had my first pregnancy backache this week.  I was afraid, at first, that it was going to be debilitating like it was with Noelle, but I went to the chiropracter right away and with minimal adjustment to my back and my round ligament, it disappeared.  It hasn't returned. 

I started having some pretty bad headaches. My midwife thinks it's probably the Zofran.  I was going to go to my doctor about it, but then they went away. 

I'm down to taking Zofran every other day now.

I had more blood in my stool twice so I called my GI.  They're going to do a Flexible Sygmoidoscopy (I'm not spelling that right and I don't care) where I take an enema and then they push a camera through my lower intestines.  They can do that without putting me under.  Also, I got permission to eat and take my meds because if I don't eat, I'm afraid the vicious cycle of dehydration and vomiting will begin again.  One of my sisters had persistent bleeding in her stool and it turned out to be cissures, so I'm thinking that is what it is for me too? 

I'm avoiding grains now, and have less indigestion.  In fact, I'm feeling a lot better without eating grains or sugars.  I eat apples, grapefruits, eggs, cheddar cheese, and sometimes nuts.  I also can eat meats, and I find I need to eat 2-4 helpings of meat or protein a day to survive.