Officially Official

It's officially official--I am big. I discovered tonight while in the shower that I can no longer bend over to shave my legs. To accomplish this task, I must now perch precariously on one leg while blindly shaving the other. Probably not the safest idea, so I will just have to start shaving my legs less (sorry Matt!). I am also finding it difficult to get up and down off the floor to play with Jillian, have trouble getting comfortable in bed, and am beginning to bump into things more. I've officially hit panic mode now that we are T-2 months to supposed arrival, but can't seem to motivate myself to accomplish anything on my list except to worry about the items that are not getting crossed off. I am pretty skilled at that.  We've also recently decided to do a bunch of home improvement stuff that we intended to do years ago, so I am working to arrange workers, painters, etc to do this on my crazy pregnant time line (by mid-May or else!) so that I can get down to the real business--washing baby clothes, pulling out baby gear from storage spaces, installing car seat, cleaning out cabinets that haven't been organized since the pre-Jillian nesting frenzy of 2008, etc. The calendar is ridiculously full and this baby is going to be here before we know it! Now if only I could have a glass of wine to relax about it all.....

29 Week Appt

This morning I headed downtown for my 29 week appt, with an added bonus of an ultrasound. Dr. J. ordered it after I measured a bit small on my last physical exam a month ago, just to be sure #2 is growing appropriately. I am happy to report that she is doing just fine, and is plenty big for her gestational age. After all measurements were taken, the sonographer gave us the stats: overall measures around 30 weeks, and is in the 79th percentile according to my original June 25th due date (this fuels the fire for me...I still insist that date is correct and that we WILL have a June baby). Weight is estimated at 3 lbs 12 oz--this is much bigger than I imagined, probably because whenever I think about a 29 week baby, I think about all those 2ish pounders I saw in the NICU. What a relief to know she is doing great and growing well. We came away with a few new pictures.

Her sweet profile. You can also see her fingers up by her face (she kept brushing her forehead with them during the US). Matt is convinced she looks just like Jillian already.

Front view of her face (see the open eye on the left?). You can see her forearms are up by her face as well.

 A foot--looks like a big one!

After the ultrasound I had my appt with Dr. J, who reviewed the results and concurred that our baby is doing just great. My weight was up about 2 1/2 lbs, which puts my total weight gain around 21.5 lbs. Blood pressure was nice and low at 90/58,and baby heartrate measured at 132. I'll return in 3 weeks for another visit. I feel like this pregnancy is flying by!

The Second 2nd Trimester: A Review

Since I am now officially in my 3rd trimester, it's time for a review of my second 2nd trimester. Typically, the 2nd trimester is supposed to be the glory trimester. The sickness of the 1st has past, the woes of the 3rd have not set in, and many women feel a surge of energy and an overall feeling of enjoyment during this time. I did experience this during my first 2nd trimester when pregnant with Jillian. It was a whole different ball game this time. This trimester began with the welcome relief of all-day sickness, as expected, but it was quickly replaced by a horrible stomach virus (thank you, dear 2 year old for sharing with me). A couple of weeks later, a cold/cough virus. Finally, the worst sinus infection of my life that lasted over 6 weeks and required 2 courses of antibiotics and a trip to the ENT to clear up. Amidst my illnesses, Matt and Jillian also experienced some of the same. It was a terrible cycle of passing germs back and forth. I felt more fatigued than in the 1st trimester and suddenly felt like I was in my 3rd trimester due to physical symptoms of pregnancy. My belly button (which never popped out during the first pregnancy), popped out at 22 weeks, I developed uncomfortable varicose veins which led to compression stockings (never wore those before), and my chest is covered with what looks like acne, yet is simply a bunch of cherry angiomas (due to the extra estrogen of pregnancy). Additionally, I have felt much more emotional these last couple of months (read teary, irritable, extra sensitive). Put this whole picture together and what you have is one mess of a pregnant woman. I can admit it, it is true. But, what you also have is one thankful pregnant woman. I may not always do a great job of focusing on it every day (I am human after all, and tired, and have I mentioned I have a 2 year old??), but I am so incredibly thankful for this life inside me that already keeps me up at night. I cannot wait to meet this busy little body and see her sweet face. It is truly a gift to carry a baby, no matter the "side effects". So, here's to the new beginning the 3rd trimester brings. May it surprise me and be the glory trimester of this pregnancy! 

Oh, and I suppose it's time for another belly shot.....