6

 



I hit the 24 week mark on Valentine's Day last Thursday and that means: I'm six months pregnant!

I have been extremely fortunate to be feeling well again throughout pregnancy, just like with my first and second. I'm wondering if I should read into that, thinking that this baby might likely be another girl because of the similarities, or maybe this is simply how my body handles pregnancy. Whatever the case, I'm digging it.

 

Is it even worth mentioning that I am hungry all the time? Probably not, but I am.

 

 

(It is fitting that this image is so big!)

 

Once again sweets are what I crave. Something might be wrong with me that I haven't had my quota of Potbelly oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (I am almost ashamed to say that I don't think I've had even one my entire pregnancy! I am pretty sure I had about three a week with babies 1 and 2!). Those cookies have been replaced by Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Chocolate Fudge Brownie in particular. That stuff is magical and I wish I could eat a pint a day without consequence.  

I'm only now beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable during bedtime, trying to get myself in a good position with my ever-expanding belly. I try to sneak on my back from time to time, but for the most part I follow the guideline of sleeping on my side, my left they majority of the time. I can truthfully feel a difference if I am on my back for too long, my discomfort being a reminder to tell me to turn.



 

By the time we get Mirabella and Viviana down for bed, I am pretty worn out myself. My ankles have started to swell a bit and putting my feet up feels fabulous. I feel decently productive throughout the day and my second wind comes during the girls' naps. Sometimes after dinner we let our girls wind down with a show or a movie if they have been good. Over the last few weeks of doing that, I find myself drifting off for a cat nap. Figuring I'll head right into dreamland immediately after Mirabella and Vivi, I somehow almost always surprise Jeff and me and end up staying up late (usually in bed though, catching up on the latest and greatest trash on my DVR!). I guess that 15 or so minutes I drift off during the kids' show time gives me the little energy boost I need.

 

 

I have 15 bloody noses under my belt, an ailment that has plagued me with each of my three pregnancies. I know from practice that this can be common in pregnancy, but they can be a nuisance. Thankfully most don't last too long, but some won't stop gushing, leaving me wondering if there could possibly be any blood left in my body upon their conclusion.   

 

 

While I'm on the nose subject, I am feeling an almost constant stuffiness. I'm blowing my nose all the time!

 

Something I am having that I don't remember with my first two pregnancies (although I had a different type of pain in my tush) is tailbone pain. If I sit for an extended period of time, my rump is cursing me out! When I get up to stand, the pain worsens before I find some relief in standing.  



 

Absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, space cadet syndrome, pregnancy brain - whatever you want to call it, I have it. My mind is hazy; please don't hold me accountable for anything right now.

 

My short fuse has lengthened from the early days of pregnancy...but it's still on the short side.

 

I always seem to be much more full of worry and paranoia when I'm pregnant, something noticeable with all of my pregnancies. Basically I am more emotional all around; I'm sentimental, sappy and sensitive, tearful, tender and weepy. Besides that, I've totally got it together!

I am delighted to report that I have not had one migraine this time around! There was one time I thought one may be coming on and that I'd have to reach for the Tylenol, but I waited it out and had no issue. What a relief! I have not had to pop one pill aside from my daily combo of my multivitamin (sometimes prenatal, sometimes just a basic women's), DHA supplement and folic acid.

 

So that about sums it up! I look like I am two months more pregnant that I am, but pregnancy has been treating me well. I think I could do this again sometime. (Ha! Just kidding, hubby!)   



Doctor appointment: Ultrasound and 24 week fetal and maternal assessment

 

 

So relieved to say that the second more in-depth look at our baby went well! I had another ultrasound this past Friday (Friday, February 15th) and was told, "Baby looks great!" as our doctor put it. A closer look of the heart was needed since he or she didn't want to fully cooperate to allow for any good photos at my last appointment. Everything checked out well and it was nice to have another peek at our baby-cakes! We were able to listen to the heart beat again too (heart rate was 135) and were told that the baby weighs 1 pound 7 ounces.  

 

 

Baby's mouth is open in this one! We even got to see his or her tiny tongue. Very cool.

 

 

Brace yourselves (or maybe it was just me that needed bracing): I gained a whopping eight pounds since my last appoinment a month ago! Holy Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie! Total weight gained thus far is 11 pounds. I asked both the woman doing my weigh-in and of course my doctor if that was concerning and each said no. But, seriously, eight pounds?  I suppose I better slow down on the ice cream and sweets, which have been heavy on the rotation for me. Oh, and let's not forget about all those super delicious carbs. Gosh, I was getting so much better before this pregnancy! So not the case right now.  

 

I received my sugar-filled water in fruit punch flavor to chug before my next appointment, my glucose screaning. If I fail the first round of the test (roughly 10 % do and I did fail it with Viviana), I have to go back for a three-hour test. I am so hoping that is not that case! Even more so, I am praying I don't fail that one (roughly 3 % do) since that would mean I have gestational diabetes and the sweets are packing up and getting the heck out of my house. I was actually told last time that it has more to do with my hormones than my diet, but I know the excess of sugar in my diet does not help. Obviously my most important concern would be the health of our baby, and having this does pose some health risks. I'll certainly be praying for a pass on the first try!

Pregnancy glow

Husband: "You really have a nice glow about you."

Wife: "Really? Wow, thanks!"

Husband: (pause) "Maybe it's because you showered and washed your hair, but you do have a very nice glow."

Our baby at 23 weeks

At 23 weeks, the baby neasures more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, about the size of a large mango.

Photos: 21 weeks

 

 

22 weeks today!

 

 

Our baby at 20 weeks

At 20 weeks, the baby is about 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel, approximately the length of a banana.

Doctor appointment: 20 week ultrasound

 

 

 

 

A big sigh of relief (and a few tears shed by me!): Jeff and I could not feel happier about having an encouraging ultrasound appointment. I was shocked I remembered to load up on 32 ounces of water an hour before my appointment (a full bladder is supposed to push the bowels out of the way so the tech can get a better view), but drink I did and on my way there, my bladder was bursting at its seems. When I pulled into the parking lot outside the office, I was in pain, wondering how I was ever going to make it from my car to the building! I could think of nothing else but how miserable I was, imagining how I was going to make it an hour without going to the bathroom during the ultrasound.

I forced myself out of the car and feeling like I was partially hunched over for my journey to the 5th floor office, I got to the check-in desk. After I gave my name I did not resist saying, "I think my bladder got a little too full for my appointment!" She laughed, but like she cared! Apparently I thought what was at the top of my mind should be at the top of hers. When Jeff and I got into the ultrasound room a few minutes later, before I could climb up to the table I told the tech the same thing. She assured me that she'd get some pictures and I could relieve myself very soon. She had accompanied us on our walk to the room, asking if we were going to try and find out the gender of our baby today. We gave her a confident no and she commended our willpower for not doing so.

I tried to relax once I got on the table, but I felt like I could explode. The warm gel hit my stomach and we were ready to get the show on the road. Within two minutes of checking things out she told me my bladder was even too full for her! Oh no! (And hallelujah! Thank goodness! I could go to the bathroom!) I would end up going three separate times during the ultrasound, per her request - it was unbelievable!

We started by looking at the baby's heart beat. Our baby was moving around more than ever the night before - Jeff got to feel again too - but the reassurance of that tiny heart beating was ultra comforting. We got to actually hear it for the first time. Awesome. The heart rate was normal - 133 for all of you inquiring minds trying to figure out the gender based on the old wive's tale! Jeff and I marveled as we glued our eyes to the screen in front of us. It was miraculous to see the intricacies of our baby's insides, all the way down to seeing him or her swallowing. We shook our heads in amazement seeing our baby's minuscule tongue. Each organ we investigated was astounding; it blew me away knowing I had been and continue making each inside of me.

Unfortunately the baby wouldn't cooperate for us to allow for good photos of his or her heart. We moved on so she could get other measurements and hopefully rule out red flags for complications, both for my pregnancy (baby coming early) and for birth defects. Spina bifita was the first she thought we could take off the table. Whew. There were a handful of other things that were supposed to look a certain way and ours matched those preferred looks, giving us a good chance of ruling out those ailments. The feeling couldn't get much better. She continued to go through a few more, and as she told us the next indicator - for ruling out Down syndrome - was in our favor, I burst into tears. I was filled back with the breath in my lungs that was previously running short.

In that moment, all of my worries felt lessened after the positive reports kept coming. My advanced age - the title I was given - made me extremely weary of these main birth defects that become more prevalent with age. To know the chances of our baby having these had decreased even in the least bit was elating. The reports were affirming and after the multi-stage ultrasound appointment concluded, we met with my doctor. He reiterated that the baby looked good, something we all praised together.

Upon the ultrasound technician's preliminary views of our baby's heart, everything looked fine, but after many attempts, the baby wouldn't oblige us with moving for a better look from the front angle. She had me turn to my left side to try for a successful shift of the baby with no luck. Then I took another potty break and she had me switch to my right, again without luck. So I will begin my next appointment in four weeks (Wednesday, February 20th) with another ultrasound before meeting with my doctor. Hopefully this will provide us with more positive reports of the baby's heart and produce the photo evidence they need.

Nothing serious, but the book ends of my two part appointment were not all that pleasant. I was slightly surprised - though not shocked - at my four pound weight gain during my weigh in, but was told it was normal. My favorite gal there told me a pound and a half a week is what I should gain, so I felt a tad better since it had been four weeks from my last appointment. OK, not so astonishing. (Hey, I better grab another pint of ice cream! What a travesty to leave two pounds on the table. Haha!) The morning at my doctor's office concluded with a flu shot (that I kept forgetting to get) and a whooping cough vaccine. Each was not so bad going in, but my arms were in incredible pain for three full days! It was nuts. I could barely lift them up! Four days later I could still feel soreness, mostly from the whooping cough shot by then. Never have I had a reaction like that with shots, but I am happy they are over with. Not as happy as I am to have this appointment in all its glory behind us! Many thanks to everyone for the prayers. We are hoping for more of the same affirming news in the days ahead.

PS. I had to go to the bathroom two more times after my ultrasound for a grand total of five times before leaving my doctor's office! To my husband who has obviously never been pregnant, this little fact was astonishing. Just as with my tidbit to the gal at the front desk about my way too full bladder upon my arrival at the office, I guess I thought you all needed to know that. ;)