Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Not complaining

I'm totally not complaining, but if I was, it would be about the crazy cramps I have been having for the past 18 hours or so ... and probably about my sleeping issues, too. Good thing I'm not complaining! :)

It's funny to me because I just don't remember having these issues before, and even though my midwife told me there would be pains that would be much different this time around, I am getting a little freaked out. Luckily, I read a little online and it sounds like round-ligament pain, which is really common at this stage. Huge sigh of relief!

Two days from now, Denny and I will get to see this little baby! I am really getting excited!! I keep thinking boy for sure ... I hope I'm right, but if not, I know I will love having another girl!! I'm also mostly hoping for a healthy baby.

I need to take a belly shot ... tomorrow I will be 19 weeks, and I haven't taken a single photo. It probably has something to do with the fact that I feel huge (even though I know I'm really not ... not yet anyway), and I find it really hard to get dressed in the morning because it seems like the clothes that fit me correctly are very limited right now. I'm at that weird in-between belly phase. I know it will pass soon and I really will be big. Good thing I don't have anything to complain about this morning!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Pregnancy induced insomnia

It's 3:36 a.m. and I am wide awake ... this is just the second night it has happened so far, but I am so fearful that it will continue. For some reason, if wake up to use the bathroom, I can't go back to sleep. I never had this problem when I was pregnant with Emma. I really hate it! I highly value my sleep.

I decided to get up and come into the living room rather than tossing in bed until my alarm goes off in a few hours. At least I will feel a little accomplished by blogging and checking email and reading some for my class.

This is a pretty exciting week in this pregnancy. We are looking forward to the ultrasound on Friday afternoon. I am so excited to see the baby, and, if I'm being honest, I'm a little anxious to find out if the baby is doing well. I haven't had any complications, so I am prayerfully hoping for a healthy report, but I think it's normal to have some anxiety until I know for sure.

Now I'm going to rest my eyes and see if I can dose off for a little while ... come on sleep!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

17 weeks

Thursdays are my ... "I made it another week" days. Do others who are pregnant or have children think that way? So today marks 17 weeks. Where is the time going?

I am feeling really great lately. There are some aches and pains here and there ... mostly in my back, but overall, there is no way I can complain. I have been eating a ton lately ... it seems like I can't get enough. I'm so nervous to go for my next checkup. I don't want to gain too much. I have wedding just three months after this baby is due. And it's not just any wedding, it's Jenny's!

I keep waiting for a definite feeling of the baby moving, but so far, I am just speculating that I feel him/her every once in a great moon, and to me, that doesn't count. I know the time will come, so I am okay with that.

Lately, my thoughts have been consumed with thinking through moving Emma out of her room and into the bigger room. This will take some time because we have a lot of stuff in there, and we'll need to figure out what to do with everything, but my goal is to have Emma all set up in her new room before Christmas. Then, I will focus on the nursery, which should be easy since we are using the same bedding and everything!

I know this is silly to say at this point, but I am still shocked that I am having another baby. Happily shocked!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Emma turned two!

Exactly one month ago today, my sweet little baby turned two! My parents came for the weekend and on Sunday, we threw a smallish party for her with our families and couple close friends.

We went with a princess theme. She loved the balloon Jenny picked out for her. She did great blowing out her candles and opening her presents. It was a very fun day and celebration of such a sweet girl!

Some of her favorite gifts were shoes, baby doll car seat, pack-n-play and bed and clothes!

Today, I took her for her two-year checkup. She is still very tall ... 37.5 inches (97th percentile), and she weighs 30.4 pounds (80th percentile). I don't remember about her head measurements, but she got a clean bill of health.

At two, Emma can count to nine ... then she goes back to two and counts to nine ... she will do this over and over again. She also talks in full sentences and other people can understand her.

She also loves to pretend ... she puts her baby dolls to bed, feeds them, cleans them, etc. She also loves to color and read. Her little personality is coming out more and more and I love it!

She is really getting interested in potty training, but that deserves a post all to itself, which I promise to write soon.

I'm really looking forward to what the next year holds for Emma. She makes me so proud and happy!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

An update on life

After I miscarried in May, I was so sad. As each day passed and I saw sweet Emma and all the blessings in my life, I felt much better about things. I knew our day would come to welcome another child if that was what was meant to be.

With that in mind, I waited for my period. I waited and waited and waited. I took a pregnancy test on day 28 ... it was negative. So I waited two more days and retested.

I was shocked to see that familiar double line. I had no idea it would happen so soon, but I was elated for about a week. Then I began to panic a little. What was I thinking? What if I miscarried again? You know, all the crazy thoughts my mind could conjure up.

I went to the doctor around what I was guessing to be the eight-week mark. My visit was horrible. They didn't give me a pregnancy test and said they wouldn't call this a pregnancy until an ultrasound could confirm it. All of this was probably logical to the medical professionals, but I was angry. Luckily, I was able to go in for an ultrasound two days later.

It was a very brief appointment. The technician immediatly pulled up the image of my sweet little baby. His/her heartbeat was in the 160s and she gave me a due date of March 1 ... one day off what I had estimated.

Today, I am 16 weeks and everything seems to be going okay. I have another ultrasound scheduled for Oct. 7, and we are excited to see the baby and find out the sex.

I have so much more to update about Emma and life in general, but I wanted to get this done first. I am busy trying to get the spare room ready for Emma and figure out how our lives will change in the winter/spring. We are so excited!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Loss

Last week ended much different than how it began. On Friday, May 20, I went home and took a pregnancy test. It was positive. I wasn't super excited at first ... I was more afraid ... of what Denny would think, of how we would afford it, etc. Once I told Denny, his excitement rubbed off on me, and my mind started planning. I began to think about things I wanted to do before January, things we would want to look for at garage sales, etc.

Last Wednesday, I started spotting and it quickly turned to heavier blood. Since then I have cried a lot, but I have also counted my blessings. Perhaps most importantly, I am hopeful for the future. I am hopeful that one day Emma will become a big sister.

As I recover emotionally, I'm trying to figure out what my body is going through. After cramping and other usual symptoms, I was pretty okay by Saturday. Very early yesterday morning I woke up with a lot of pain in my back and an urgency to run to the bathroom. The pain then felt like it was pulsing through to my rib cage ... very similar to the gallstone attack I had a year and a half ago. Since I no longer have a gallbladder, that concerned me.

I went to my doctor yesterday and she wasn't sure ... she thought maybe it was food poisoning, but she also wants me to have an ultrasound. That is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I hope it was just food poisoning. I am ready to move on emotionally, and I am so hopeful that some day I will be able to make Emma a big sister.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Easter 2011



This was one of the best Easters in my life. It ranks right up there with the one when I had chicken pox and got to spend the whole day with my mom ... when I had her all to myself!

On Good Friday, Emma slept in a little and I was able to work on one final paper I needed to turn in. Once she got up, I put the laptop and all of my books away to enjoy the morning with her. Unfortunately, Denny had to work, but Emma and I enjoyed the morning.

Since the weather was crummy, Denny came home before lunch, which worked out great. Jeremy and Jenny came over to hang out and play with Emma. I was able to finish my paper that night. On Saturday, Emma and I ran errands and then played outside for a while with Denny. That night, we died Easter eggs. I could not remember the last time I did that, but it was fun. Eventually, we are called it a night.

I woke up early on Sunday to play Easter bunny before church. Emma loved finding the eggs in the living room and looking through her basket. We then made it to church early! We were able to get a pew big enough for Debbie, Mike, Makayla, Alicia and Luke. Emma was a little angel and we were all able to enjoy the entire mass.

Afterward, everyone came over for brunch and another egg hunt for Emma. After everyone left, Denny went fishing while Emma and I took a nap. It was perfect! We missed my parents and brothers, but hopefully next year we can all be together!