Thursday, August 18, 2011

16 weeks preggers


Completely Different Pregnancy

Pregnancy + 3 year old + 32 hours/week (on average) working as a nurse sure takes it out of you. I am exhausted again. At this point in my first pregnancy, I was commuting to San Francisco and working 24 hours a week, taking 3 nursing prerequisite courses, including 2 of them with labs, walking 5 miles a day 6-7 days a week, my house was spanking clean and I was positively g-l-o-w-i-n-g. This time around, I'm lucky if I walk twice a month and housecleaning? Forget it. What started to appear as that infamous second trimester glow 4 weeks ago has disappeared again and I'm just tired, tired, tired. And massive. And already waddling. And my skin is crazy broken out. And my back pain sucks. And the round ligament pain can be brutal. And I get these killer headaches sometimes. And I crave salt AND sugar all the time. And before anyone asks, I am technically fine and my MD is not concerned at all...there are no real health issues or danger signs...it's just that this pregnancy is soooooooooo different. Girl? Or am I just old?

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Happy Family


Friday, August 12, 2011

Vacation Time

We are going camping at the Russian River tomorrow with some friends. We will return Monday, then I'm off to work in the afternoon. Will try to post on Tuesday, but more likely Wednesday as I work Tuesday as well. Busy, busy, busy around here! Thank goodness I'm getting my energy back. Stay tuned for updates, pictures, and yes, maybe even one of the promised belly shots...it will have been a month. I look about 6 months pregnant. Sigh!!!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

15 Weeks

More than 1/3rd of the way done! We've had a busy week...between first (and continued) movement felt, round ligament pain starting (seriously?!), working at the hospital 7 out of 8 days, my mom retiring after a 37 year career in nursing and nurse management, James finishing his first 8 week series of preschool music classes, and our 15 week ultrasound, we are all beat. And excited. We heard the baby's heartbeat with the Doppler yesterday and it was on the fast side - about 168 beats per minute. The OB said if we are going off heartrate, then it's a girl. I've also had more dreams about having a baby girl. Pretty sure this baby is of the female variety...but would be equally happy and excited about another little boy. Not sure Dorian would though. He's started telling people he's having a baby sister. Apparently, he told the childcare worker at the YMCA that he is "so happy because he is going to have a little sister." He talks about having a baby sister a lot now. I really hope he's not too disappointed if it turns out to be a boy!

Monday, August 1, 2011

First Movement Already!

I know some people will say it's not possible, but I felt my baby move last night. According to the American Pregnancy Association, "There is a broad range of when the first detection of movement can be felt, ranging from 13-25 weeks" and "First-time moms may not feel these movements as early as second-time moms." I can feel exactly where my uterus is...and know where the baby is lying due to my ultrasound last week...I felt a bunch of fluttering around right in the spot where the baby is and it felt exactly like the movement I used to feel in the beginning (around 20 weeks or so) with Dorian. If I touched the spot firmly (as they did with the ultrasound wand to get the baby to move), I felt movement in response to the touch. I am just about 14 weeks but this is my second child, I'm a small person, and I'm going to play the registered nurse (in Women & Infants!) card here...I know what I felt. Don't tell me it's just gas. I'm curious though...has anyone else felt it this early? I was shocked when I tuned in to it. The baby is approximately 3.5 inches long and weighs between 1-2 ounces. Incredible.