Weigh-In: Week 25+5

134 pounds.  I feel like I look very big in this picture, both in the belly and in my face, but I know I'm gaining weight at an appropriate weight, so I'm not going to worry too much.  Plus I have stopped weighing myself constantly.  I step on the scale once a week at most.  I'm getting better, I promise.  I can definitely see how much bigger I am from 23 weeks but think I'm smaller (or maybe just carrying differently) than I was with Oliver at this point.

I am getting more and more limited by the belly recently.  It's harder to get in and out of the chaise and roll over in bed, and my back gets sore.  I feel better laying on my back for a little while, but I know I'm getting to the point where that's not recommended.  I've definitely had more lower back, sciatic, and pelvic pain this time than I did when pregnant with Oliver.  I don't say that to complain -- it's all a part of pregnancy, and well worth it for the end result.  But I've definitely noticed that these discomforts started a lot earlier this time.  I remember being well into my third trimester -- my baby shower at least -- when the long walks and days of cleaning got to me.  Now I can go for 2-3 hours at most before I need to sit down.  I've even noticed my feet swelling a little if I'm still at a desk or table.

I do love seeing the baby kick and roll in my belly.  It's especially obvious (to me, at least) when I sit at the computer like I am now, legs out in front of me.  Oliver was reading But Not the Hippopotamus last night, and I asked him to read to the baby.  He pulled up my shirt to my bare belly and then turned the book so she could "see" the pictures!  I've never done this, so he came up with it on his own.  (Perhaps he remembers it from being in utero.)

Third trimester is around the corner.  Unfortunately, delivery still seems ages away.

A confession, of sorts

I admit it.  I gave in.  I got all excited about having a girl (though, let's be honest, I would have given in if it were a boy, too, and supplemented what was there) and got girly clothes.  It's fair to say that there's some pink and purple in this house that wasn't here before.  And it's mostly of the 0-3 month variety.  So if you feel compelled, now or in the future, to get this baby girl something, might I suggest something in the 3-6 month (spring/summer) or 6-9 month (summer/fall) range.  Or a nursing cover for her mother.  You know.  Just sayin'.

Stroller shopping

Weigh-In: Week 23+1

This is my bare belly.  I know.  It just has to be done sometimes, though, because how else will I remember.  I like watching my belly grow, even if I don't like gaining weight.  But more on that later.


At 23 weeks, the baby is almost to viability, which means nothing more than, were she born right now, she'd have about a 50-70% chance of surviving -- up from the 20-35% chance before 24 weeks.  It's amazing to learn that 90% of babies born at 26-27 weeks survive.  Survive, of course, doesn't mean lead a normal, healthy life, but I know, like any pregnant woman, that no baby, even born at term, is not guaranteed that.  This is about the time, though, that I start to think seriously about the fact that a baby might actually be born in a few months -- and I have an overwhelming desire to prepare for that in some way.  Since we pretty much have everything we need, and I know more or less what I need to know about childbirth and infants, this mostly involves doing the few things that still need done, short of unpacking the baby stuff (since it's still a bit early for that -- I'm saving it for the beginning of winter break in December).  

I did start to get a few of the things we need or want for her, though.  A friend bought us a few girl clothes right after we found out the gender, so we have a few onesies and a pair of pink ruffle-butt pants.  My mom added some sleep sacks and pink baby socks.  I've also bought a few things I've seen and liked, including her "coming home" pants and some cute denim rompers for when she gets a little bigger.  I also got two Jamie Rae hats, which I've given in the past as gifts to moms expecting girls.  The darker one on the left is for her coming home outfit, also.  Mom also contributed an outfit that will likely not get much wear, but will certainly show up in some pictures -- a precious, newborn, yellow-rosebud gown with matching bonnet, with a white ruffle-butt diaper cover and the tiniest little slippers.  It was a gift given to her when I was born -- finally, a girl for the Neiheisels -- and now our little girl will get to wear it.  I, of course, was born in May, and our daughter is due in January -- so like I said, she probably won't make a lot of appearances in it.  But special nonetheless.  I have a few more things coming in the mail -- a few cute onesies that were on sale, some Baby Legs (never used before, but I like the idea of them for keeping warm without needing pants).  Also, in what has become a family tradition, I got the baby her own witty t-shirt for her coming-home outfit (Oliver's was #3 on this list, and baby girl's is from the same website).  I figure each of our kids will have their own coming-home outfit that doesn't get passed down to younger siblings, but with this common thread among them.  And then, like my mom, I can pass them on to them when they have kids or are just ready to inherit some of those kinds of memories.  I also ordered the baby her very own pink blanket (the same Oliver's blue one from Little Giraffe) and a lovey.  I had already decided to get her one in the same line as Ollie's, which is the Nici Plush line.  When I started searching, though, I remembered that Lovie is German.  Nici is a German line and is sold almost exclusively in Europe (and, as it turns out, Australia).  This caused me to remember that I bought Lovie in a German airport my senior year of college as a gift to Wes, which explains Lovie's ethnic origins.  Fortunately I found a great online store that sells the line with a reasonable flat rate for shipping to the states.  I hemmed and hawed about getting back-up loveys for both of them, but Ollie isn't overly attached to his, and since I know where I can get more, I'm going to sit on my hands for the moment.  There's more on the list, of course.  Mostly clothes, an infant seat (for keeping her off the floor but among the action in the living room), and a few things for me (like a nursing cover), but those can wait.  For now, I like the idea that we have our version of the essentials for this new person, even if she is a few months away from coming home (we hope).

I've also started to do something I did with Ollie from pretty early on -- read to her.  I don't remember when I started with Oliver, but I did it almost every night.  I read him board books, the ones others or we bought for him, and even worked up to at least one chapter book (The Phantom Tollbooth).  I actually saw a study the other day that said that kids read to in utero were more vigorous eaters (which clearly worked with Ollie), so hey, couldn't hurt.  Plus it's like I'm starting to work in some time just for her.  I know a lot of parents worry about their first when they're having a second -- the older kid won't get enough attention or whatever -- but that doesn't concern me.  Ollie does fine, will have his moments, but will ultimately get through it all, I think.  And I know Wes likes his age better than newborns, so G will always have dad for focused playtime.  I'm actually more concerned about the littler ones getting to be their own people -- getting some version of the attention and special focus that a first one usually gets (and Ollie certainly has).  It's never the same, I know, but I just want each kid to feel like he or she has some special place all his or her own in our family.  And so the baby gets her own reading time at night.  I decided that this time, though, since I'm already reading a lot of the board books and kids' books every day, that the baby and I will do a longer piece, a few pages at a time.  So last night, Wes off for a night shift, we snuggled into bed and read Chapter 1 of Anne of Green Gables.  I've seen the movie version of this many times, but I've never read the book, so I thought it was a good choice.  The book was written in the early to mid-1900's, so the vocabulary and syntax are pretty mature for a 23-week fetus, but I think she appreciates the narrative.  I swear I could hear her laugh last night when I read about Mrs. Rachel Lynde seeing Matthew Cuthbert go by in his best clothes on his way out of Avonlea, wondering to herself -- and then to Marilla -- about where he was off to.  And clucking at Marilla when she found out what he was up to. I figure if we're still not done when she comes (it's a long book as it includes Anne of Avonlea), we can read it together at bedtime nursing sessions.

So that's us in a gourd (it's fall, and it just doesn't seem like all that would fit in a nutshell).  For those who are wondering, I was 130.5 on Friday and then 132 on Sunday and today.  How, I ask, does one (or even one plus) gain 1.5 lbs. in a day?  I know she's growing, I know I'm supposed to gain weight, but I just can't stop myself from looking.  My only consolation is that most websites say I'm likely to have gained around 15 pounds by now, and I'm at 7-10, depending on what you count as my starting weight.  So I'm going to try to lay off the peanut butter cups -- always my nemesis -- but not let myself go hungry.  I'm not fretting about it, honest.

Weigh-In: 22 + 1 weeks

129 lbs.  I'm just sayin'.  I saw my neighbor down the street who is due about two weeks after me (and also pregnant with a baby girl), and she's tiny.  I mean, you can hardly tell she's even pregnant.  This is her first baby, but still.  Of course, I also saw my friend is due two weeks after me with twins.  Now she's bigger than me (and rightfully so).

I was thinking today about how this pregnancy has been different than my first.  I've definitely had more nausea and it's lasted further into pregnancy.  The gagging-while-brushing phenomenon, for example, persists.  I've also had some old GI issues resurface that I dealt with before my pregnancy with Oliver but that disappeared while pregnant with him (and for the most part, after having him).  The episodes scare me because they involve, among other things, intense abdominal pain.  The first time I had it recently I was worried I was going into pre-term labor, but after the fact I realized what had happened.  Unfortunately it came back last night (and it either completely wipes me out or, if at night, keeps me awake from the pain).  I've also had a harder time sleeping well with this pregnancy, though a pregnancy pillow has helped.  Some of it though is more vivid dreams I've had, ones I can vaguely recollect when I wake up (unusual for me) and that are usually unsettling.

What hasn't been different, though, is how much I enjoy this phase of pregnancy.  Baby girl is moving and kicking a lot, and I love feeling it (when it doesn't scare me!).  I'm clearly showing but not so big that it's constantly a challenge to move.  I definitely enjoy my weekly swim these days.

Weigh In: Week 21

128 pounds.  Six days, 1.5 pounds.  No more non-maternity shorts.  

"Hey! Hello in there. Hey!"*

The baby has been moving more and more recently, and while the books tell me this is when babies get into a waking and resting cycle, I can't say that there's much regularity to when she moves or how much.  I usually get kicks and rolls down low, nothing anyone would notice unless they saw me in a low-cut bathing suit.  The movement can be felt and even seen from the outside, but only if being carefully monitored.  I have had several instances now, though, when she has kicked me so swiftly and severely further up -- usually right next to my belly button -- that I've actually screamed every time.  It literally scares me how hard it is, and it takes a second for me to register that it wasn't something external but internal that delivered the kick.  I dismissed it the first time it happened because I was carrying Oliver and though he'd kicked me, but it's happened at least twice since then.  

It's relevant to note that while I had an anterior placenta last time, effectively cushioning me from those kinds of moves, this time I have the more common posterior placenta, which means the movement this time was detectable much sooner and will, they say and so it seems, be much stronger and more noticeable as we go.  I'm starting to understand what women mean when they say the baby kept them up at night kicking.  Here's hoping that as she gets down her waking and resting cycles, they overlap at least a little with mine.

*Spoken by Miracle Max to a "only mostly dead" Westley in The Princess Bride, just before he, Inigo, and Andre the Giant storm the castle to save Princess Buttercup from marrying Prince Humperdinck.

Weekly Weigh-In: Week 20+1

This picture is actually from a little more than a week ago, after my graduate school orientation.  I feel like my belly is out there even more than usual now, but I also think that the view from the top makes it seem bigger than it probably appears to onlookers.  I'm still noticeably smaller than with Oliver (see comparison picture here), but that's partly because I'm smaller all over.  My two pairs of non-maternity shorts are almost at the end of their wearability, but fortunately I still have lots of stretchy summer dresses (like this one) to wear for the next several weeks.  Once fall is here, I have two pairs of maternity jeans and two pairs of maternity khakis to get me through until the really cold winter sets in.

I've been trying to stay more active now that school is in session and I spend so much of my day sitting in class or at my desk in the office (our pod, as it's called).  I swam last week, once for real at the student recreation center and once with Oliver just for fun.  I pushed him to campus in the stroller one day, mowed the lawn, and did lots of yard work.  The baby lets me know when I need to take a rest.  I tend to get lightheaded and just overall don't feel well.  So I sit on the chaise with my feet up, drink water or lemonade, and watch a 30-minute episode of something taped (or, increasingly, check email or do schoolwork).

I am, as of this morning, 126.5 lbs.  That up again from my last weight, a 1.5 lb. I think.  Wes keeps reminding me that it's okay.  And the baby's biggest job at this point is gain weight, so I will, too.  I have been more lax about having some ice cream or (my recent indulgence) dark chocolate-covered almonds, but I'm trying to keep the portions and frequency reasonable. I don't want to have to kill myself after this is over to lose the weight! I know that at this point I should just try to be healthy and stop stepping on the scale so often.  Old habits die hard, though.  Doing so helped me keep my weight in check pre-baby, and now it's hard to stop weighing and worrying.

My next midwife's appointment isn't for about 3 1/2 weeks, but since the little girl is moving more and more, I know she's doing okay (or ostensibly so) in the meantime.  I can see some slight movement on the outside (still very low), but mostly it's her rolls and gentle nudges that I notice.  Here's to a healthy second half of the pregnancy!

Today was the first time

Someone who didn't know me made a comment about me being pregnant.  The lady at the CVS counter, who was very chatty about my purchases (always a dangerous choice in a drug store, I think), noticed my belly and said something.

It's still isn't obvious to everyone, though, especially those who didn't know me before the Baby B belly.  I had my graduate students (all young and female) over for dinner last night, and until I mentioned it an hour or more in, no one said a word about it.  When I finally brought it up (that I might be out a little in January), someone said, "Oh, good.  I was wondering, but I just wasn't sure."

The hydrangeas were pink...

And the ultrasound tech said, "Girl."  I had my 18-week anatomy scan this morning, and in addition to finding out that the baby looks healthy and continues to measure with a due date of January 11 (a few days earlier than by my count), we found out that we will be getting a daughter and Oliver a sister.  I've been so looking forward to this day, to knowing whether it's a "she" or a "he."  I really was hoping for a girl when I got pregnant with Oliver and had a few moments of disappointment when all my friends found out they were having girls.  But I got over it in about 2 seconds because, hey, what's not fun about boys.  And he is fun.  So fun.  And I could not imagine a girl now.  This time, I was truly and honestly going to be excited either way.  Wes, my sister, and I were all imagining Oliver with a little brother.  Wes and I were imagining all the fun we've had with Oliver, his delight in life and great energy.  I knew I wanted a girl at some point though, so if it was now, then great.  Wes and I both went into the ultrasound thinking -- for no particular reason -- that it was a girl (I'm 2-2 now, having accurately predicted both genders).

And my reaction was similar this time to last time.  The tech did the whole scan -- checking for parts and vessels and taking measurements and then looked for the gender.  Her comments at first -- "I think I already know" and "If it's a boy, it's usually easy to tell at this point" made me think it was indeed a boy.  And I had a smile on my face, imagining this new little boy.  And then she said, "But you were right.  It's a girl."  And the smile stayed.  As I walked with Wes to the parking lot, I was surprised to feel a little disappointment that it wasn't a boy.  I think I said it when I found out with Oliver, too -- it's not that I don't want it to be a girl, but that means it can't be a boy.  (And no, I don't wish I were having fraternal boys/girl twins!  I'll leave that to friends.)  Wes is worried he won't know what to do with a girl.  But truly, as long as he wipes from front to back, he need not do anything differently with a girl than he does with his boy.  And maybe she will have Oliver's zest for life and great energy and some things all her own.  And in the meantime, I get to buy girl clothes.

Weigh In: Week 16

124.5 pounds. I went up, then back down after the peaches, then back up to more than this, and then it settled back here. I'm satisfied. That's 2.5 pounds over my lowest weight, and still a little less than where I started from. I think I need to accept that at this point, I'm just going to gain weight. And that's okay.

My belly is starting to really show. My shirts tend to be looser, and my shorts are fitting below the belly (I can still wear 2-3 pairs on non-maternity shorts), so it's not terribly obvious normally, but in a dress, I'm clearly either pregnant or carrying some really serious weight right at my waistline. I haven't really taken a belly picture before now because I felt like there wasn't much to see, but I don't want to keep waiting and find that time has escaped me.

I'm feeling movement, very sporadically, and getting very excited about our next ultrasound.

(For a comparison picture when pregnant with Oliver, see here.)

Apples and peaches

My sister well remembers the one time I actually vomited during my pregnancy with Oliver.  I was maybe 10 weeks pregnant, visiting her and her husband in Savannah.  We were going to go walking at her high school's track, and so I had an apple beforehand as breakfast, not wanting to be overly full.  I also took my prenatal vitamins.  Maybe a lap or so around, while Laura was on the phone with an office, I threw up every bit of that carefully chewed apple on the side of the track.  Laura joked that she had "broken" me.

Last week, the same thing happened, only this time, it was peaches.  Ollie and I came home from somewhere, and since it was only 10:30 AM, but I was hungry, we shared some sliced peaches.  And then, maybe 30 minutes or so later, they all came back up -- violently.  This time, though, I was into the second trimester and worried that I'd had food poisoning or something that would hurt the baby.  I didn't eat much more that day, and Wes thought that no harm had been done.  Oliver, on the other hand, found the whole thing fascinating and discovered an entirely new use for the potty.

Movement

For the last few days, I've been feeling what I'm fairly certain is the baby moving.  I wasn't sure at first, and I still can't be positive that's what it is, but it's low, in the right spot, and just like a gentle nudging.  Like something very small kicking very hard but with some resistance, like say amniotic fluid and a spongy uterine lining.  Last night the baby kept it up for probably 30 minutes, every few minutes on and off giving me flutters.  It's exciting and gives me some comfort in these final few weeks before my ultrasound.

Weigh In: Week 14

123 pounds.  And so it begins.

I have three pairs of shorts that I can comfortably wear -- two pre-pregnancy and one maternity wear cinched really small (it's a pair with a hidden adjustable waistband, kind of like in Ollie's pants).  I can put on other shorts, but I am definitely not comfortable.  And soon, I don't think I'll even be able to button them, especially in the evening.  I had less fatigue for a few days but then got really tired after not sleeping well for several nights (and feeling unsure about whether a good nap would hurt or help things).  I had less nausea for a few days, and a few actual meals, before it returned -- or some version that makes my stomach feel terribly acidic -- yesterday or the day before.  I've also had a cold, courtesy of Ollie, resulting in a cough (that makes my ovaries hurt), a slightly sore throat, and no voice whatsoever.  It's fairly challenging to parent a toddler with no voice, even more so one who is passionate about books and being read his books.  Fortunately my voice is coming back, though my sore throat is worse, as is the cough.  I'm going shopping for a body pillow tomorrow, as I think it might help me sleep better.  I swear my body feels different this time than with Oliver.  My bones around my pelvis and the joints at my hip are sore.  My sciatic nerve gets irritated on and off, so that I have random sharp pains (Oliver mimics my "Ow!") and sometimes limp along with a short butt cheek.  But I know -- think, hope -- it will eventually get a little better before I get big and uncomfortable from that.

I did have a moment last night when I started to feel badly for my second baby.  When Oliver was in utero, I read to him every night.  Each week, I would read the next installment in my baby book about what was happening with the fetus and what to expect and all that.  This time -- nada.  The baby gets to hear stories I read to Oliver, but maybe it doesn't like trucks as much as he did.  And then I worried that this is the life this child is being born into -- the second child, perhaps the middle child, but always second-best to his brother.  And then I realized I was worried about a 14-week fetus who didn't have hearing yet, recognized that Wes and I will do our best to parent each of our children separately as needed, and decided to stop worrying -- for now.  And maybe read the baby a book tonight.

Size does matter

So it turns out the when you go down two sizes in clothes between the first baby and the second, your maternity clothes don't fit.  I've been wearing a size 4 in my pants, a M in tops, and a  S or M in dresses recently, but I thought that once pregnant, the difference between an 8 and a 4 wouldn't be a big deal.  Maybe not, but maybe.  Some of the pants aren't close to staying on my body, which wouldn't be a problem except that my non-maternity clothes as 2-4 weeks from just being not an option.  I can still put everything on, and I can breathe and move semi-comfortably in most, but there's only one or two pairs of shorts that I can leave the house in and truly be comfortable in all day.  Dresses are great, and I have one skirt I can wear (but right now just look fat in, so I avoid it -- yes, I'm being vain).  Some of the medium or high panels clothes will stay on big both at the waist and through the cut of the pant.  And yes, I'm pregnant, so it probably doesn't matter, but I'm going to have to wear these clothes to school and work, at least until the weather gets cold (though I'd hoped some of the khaki pants could still be worn then).  I want to look presentable, not like some disheveled, crazy mama.  I thought for sure at least the dresses wouldn't be a problem, but even they look enormous around the arms.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now.  Like I said, I have several weeks until I must do something, and even then only on bottom.  I have a box of clothes in the eaves that are size 6/8/10 of non-maternity clothes, so perhaps there's an option there.  The bad news is that the closest Gap Maternity, where I bought literally ALL of my old maternity clothes (good sales, plus they have their pants in petite) is in Marietta, Georgia -- convenient to my mother and father, not so much to me.  I could order, but there's a risk in that.  Hmm, who would've thought this would ever be an issue.

Weigh In: Week 13+1

Today's weight: 122.5.  I was 122 for a few days, then the half pound came back.  I am now officially in the second trimester.  (A lot of websites say the first trimester ends at 12 weeks, which doesn't make sense to me since the second trimester is 14 weeks.  So I look at the second trimester as 13+ weeks.  Regardless, I'm there.)  I do feel a little better. I am not as fatigued, in part probably because I no longer have to take the Prometrium (the placenta takes over).  I am not, however, eating normally yet.  I am not constantly nauseated, but neither am I hungry.  I can only eat very small meals, and that's not small-meals-throughout-the-day.  That's a bowl of cereal for breakfast, an apple with peanut butter for lunch, and either a small portion of whatever is for dinner or a half a bagel and some blueberries.  Today I had a bagel sandwich for breakfast since I met a friend at a diner, then a carton of yogurt around 2pm for "lunch," and an instant breakfast drink for dinner.  I did have a few crackers with cheese about an hour or two later.  I'm just not hungry.  And when I do eat something more substantial, like this morning, I stay full, almost uncomfortably, for most of the day.

I don't mind it.  I will gladly gain the weight slowly, and I will happily take the nausea, for however long it stays, if that's what goes with this pregnancy.  But I hate not being able to grocery shop for my family because the smell of the place makes me sick.  I hate not ever wanting to cook dinner (and rarely doing so recently) because, since I don't feel like eating, I've no idea what to make.  I can put up with the symptoms, but I hate for my boys to have to, also.

I'm sure that in short order my appetite will be back, as will the weight.  I'm much more involved with the weight this time because I'm not starting so heavy.  I was 30 pounds (at least) heavier when I got pregnant with Oliver, and I only gained 7 pounds over my 8-week weight (after losing around 10 pounds early on).  I really tried to lose the weight after I had him.  Not a lot of working out or serious dieting, just being active and portion control, and I learned to control my sweet tooth (usually).  So it's mostly that I don't want to mess up during this pregnancy.  I want to be healthy, I want the baby to get what it needs, but I don't want to put on more than I need to.  For everyone's sake.

Baby's First Race

The baby participated in his first 5k today. He did his part by staying safely in the womb while I ran, for which I am greatly appreciative.

Second Hand

I was out with a friend yesterday afternoon, perusing shops around Armitage, when we found a second-hand children's clothing store. Most of the clothes looked unworn, and almost all the clothes were from the stores where I tend to shop thus far -- Baby Gap, Gymboree, etc. We searched the racks to look for some must-haves and found these four items -- a sleep sack (Brook said I couldn't call it a "gown" if it was for a boy) covered with airplanes, a coverall and an overall, both in fleecy material, and a set of adorable brown overalls with little puppy dogs embroidered on them. The total for all four pieces was under $20, which is cheaper than Target even. The store isn't exactly around where we live, but it's not a difficult El ride away. I definitely think future kid clothing needs will be met in this store.

Dear Husband Part 20

My sister emailed last week to ask if it was okay to put the baby's name on a baby shower invitation. I asked Wes what he thought, and this was his reply:

up to you
are we SURE yet
it could turn into one of those Dewy defeats Truman moments

Timing is everything

Wes and I were at dinner with friends last night, and he somehow the due date was mentioned. Wes made an offhand comment that certain upcoming events, some involving travel, would have been easier to accomodate were the baby due sooner. I just turned, looked at him, and said, "Do you really want to bring that topic up for discussion?" He laughed.