update *note, slightly graphic

Yesterday was my midwife appointment.
We did the usual. I got weighed (I've gained 24lbs this pregnancy), tested my urine (all good - no extra protein or sugars) and then briefly chatted.
I didn't really have any questions except, "Can I get a stretch and sweep today?"
So I talked about it with Kristi, the intern and she went and got Heather (my midwife) and they said, sure! Let's go for it!
So I lay down, they felt the baby's position - he's head down, but not fully engaged (dropped) yet and I'm measuring at about 41cm.
Then we discussed what they would be doing (I won't go into that here) and how they wouldn't do a "sweep" as the baby was not as low as they'd like him to be but they'd do the "stretch" part as well as just checking to see if I was dilated at all.
Well, surprise, surprise...I am dilated.
Um..4cm.
4cm!?!?!?!
WHAT?!?!
Apparently I had a contraction while they were checking me and Heather said, "Are you feeling this contraction?" and I laughed because I barely felt anything at all!
I was amazed and it was so weird to feel the baby moving while they were "stretching" the cervix.
I still can't believe I'm already 4cm and I feel practically nothing!
So all those mild cramps I've been having over the past few weeks have probably been something as opposed to the "nothing" I thought they were.
We ended the appointment basically saying that all I needed were some strong contractions and/or my water to break and I'd be in full-on labour.
I left feeling excited and with my hopes high that I'd see the baby that day!
I called my Mom and sister to let them know what was happening and that I'd already had a few contractions on the way home. They decided that they'd drive the 40 minutes even if nothing happened and hang out here just in case.
I had mild tightening and contractions randomly for the rest of the day and a bit of a "bloody show" later that evening, but this morning I woke up and no baby.
Needless to say I am disappointed but I can't imagine this baby holding out for too much longer. Who knows, though? I certainly don't, but I wish I did.
I still am amazed at how my body is dealing with being pregnant. Who gets to 4cm and has no idea?!?! Crazy crazy.
Anyway, Noah has been really "off" today and he needs a nap now so off I go...here's hoping we see a baby today! (Specifically the baby that is currently in my belly.)

week 36 stuff

This is me at 36 weeks after a HUGE meal at the Keg with Jamie for our 5 year wedding anniversary.
I think all that delicious food knocked the baby out as he was quite still and quiet for the following few hours.
I've been feeling EXTREMELY tight and large and often find it quite painful to transition from sitting to standing/walking. I can't imagine how I could possibly get any bigger.
I looked at my belly this morning in the mirror and concluded that I've hit the "grotesquely large" looking belly stage. There's a stage where it's cute and beautiful and then seemingly overnight, it morphs into this gigantic...thing.
I suppose it's still beautiful in a symbolic way...but man. This belly is BIG.
I am positive baby had a growth spurt - actually I think Noah had a growth spurt around this time as well. We'll see when the midwives come on Friday to measure - it will also be our home visit then too so we'll see how that goes.

Also, tomorrow I will be going to see my family doctor for a non-pregnancy related thing, but while I'm there, I'm HOPING she will prescribe the antibiotic for GBS so that I don't have to travel into the hospital to get it. I am willing to beg for it at this point...
Also, I re-read the GBS handout the midwives gave me, and at this point I'm realizing that I should have declined the test as I would have had none of the risk factors that they use to treat Mom/baby after the baby is born for GBS. Oh well. What's done is done and I am confident in the sovereignty of God - even in GBS testing. :)

This pregnancy I've found myself referring to the baby by his name (yep, we picked one out!) a lot more than I did with Noah and so am finding myself almost slipping up and revealing the name when I talk about him. It's okay...according to the ticker at the top...I've got about 25 more days (please let it be less!) so if I can keep a lid on the prego brain I should be good. :)

35 weeks...and counting!

I know I said this last week...but I can't believe I'm 35 weeks pregnant.
Had a midwife appointment this week (actually went to the office twice, but they didn't have my first appointment written down - their fault, not mine believe it or not!) and Noah sat happily and played with the toys in the office (I think he's getting used to going there by now).
Baby is head down with his back on my left side.
He was moving lots while Carol was listening to the heartbeat and every time he moved, his heart rate accelerated which is exactly what is supposed to happen. It was cool to hear the movements on the sonar thingy...doppler. Right.
I also did the swab for Strep B and am hoping I'm negative again. BUT I found out that even if I am positive, I don't need to go to the hospital - I can just get a prescription from my doctor and then the midwife can administer it to me at home! Hoorah! So while I hope I'm negative, at least I don't have to make that trip to the hospital and back (if I even MADE it back!).
I need to up my iron again (since I stopped taking it twice a day because of ... er ... issues) but it's better even though I am still categorized as anemic.
And my next appointment will be the home visit at our new place! Hooray! We move on Tuesday and I can't wait for it! And not a moment too soon either as we are supposed to be getting hit with a heat wave starting next week - with the humidex making it feel like it's mid 30's!
Whew!

moving belly!

I am now watching my belly move in the most amazing ways. Tonight while watching the season finale of 24 with Jamie (yes, we're slightly behind) I would glance down at my stomach and watch this little guy roll over, push out his elbows or do an entire body jolt/hiccup (?).
I remember seeing these kinds of movements earlier with Noah, but maybe I'm just imagining things.
It's really cool to see these huge bigger-type movements that I wondered if I'd ever feel!

30 weeks + 6 days

I had a midwife appointment today. Unfortunately as I was driving from Waterloo to Guelph the office called me and wanted to reschedule for later that day as my primary midwife had delivered a baby this morning and wouldn't be back in time.
Sigh.
But no worries, I only had to kill a couple hours before the rescheduled appointment. Noah and I walked around downtown and I bought a nursing tank top. I think I need to take it back, though. It was ridiculously overpriced and I'm pretty sure I could one for cheaper. We'll see, though.

Anyway, so the midwife appointment went well and it seems that baby is head down although he is still mobile and can move around. Everything seems to be going well and I okayed all the tests they want to do on the baby once he's born.

Not much new. I still have a sweet tooth. I still feel this little guy bouncing around inside me. And I'm still slowing down big time.

On days like today I feel quite overwhelmed and tired - especially when I feel like Noah's been sick for over 2 weeks now (a week with stomach flu and now this darned head cold). Plus Jamie's been sick all week so that's no help to me.
I'm exhausted and I need a weekend away. Ah well.
I'm also VERY glad that we are moving to a house. Even today as I did the stairs with a cranky boy I felt like I was going to go into labour at any minute! So, yes. It's a GREAT thing we are moving. :)

body movin'

Holy Bajoley this kid can move when he wants to!
The other day I lay down (after having a large bowl of Lucky Charms...hm, that may have something to do with it come to think of it...) to have a rest/nap and this little guy just started kick boxing, shadow boxing, skip roping and every other vigourous activity you can think of! I felt like my belly was shaking up, down, left and right...it was pretty crazy.
Lately the jumps and movements have been pretty visible from the outside. I remember being able to see big movements with Noah a lot earlier - so maybe this guy will just be smaller! (A girl can hope, right?)
Anyway, so the movements have not slowed - as I originally thought and told my midwife - but have gotten almost more intense and violent! Active little fella. :)

third trimester ponderings

Well, this little guy is still very active! I have noticed, though, that his movements have started to get larger in kind and although he still does rapid-fire kicks and punches, he's also rolling and pushing and sticking his butt out or head butting me in what feels like slo-mo. :)
We also think we have a name settled on, but I imagine it won't be set in stone (like Noah's name was) until this little dude is born.
I've gained about a pound in the last 3 weeks but I've also been TRYING to watch what I eat and buy healthier snacking options since we've been living here in Waterloo.
Not too much else to report...I've been going to be earlier these days as it takes me longer to fall asleep anyway.
I still can't believe I'm in my third trimester already! Time feels like it's gone by super fast and then also dragged on at the same time.
It's weird to think that this time next year I'll be a Mom to a 2.5 year old and a10 month old! I feel like I can't even imagine that!
The other day I teared up just thinking about Noah and little dude playing together some day - when Noah is 3 and little dude is 15ish months (?) and little dude just adores Noah and totally wants to be like him - similar to how Noah looks up to and adores Elijah. It almost made me cry. It's going to be very sweet and I do look forward to it.
A Mom to two boys! I'm very excited! :D

week 27 and feeling it!

I am feeling this pregnancy to the max!
My belly feels very tight these days and I get out of breath a lot faster than I used to. I'm starting to feel the baby pushing everything up so that it's often uncomfortable if I'm slouching (I totally just corrected my posture and now I feel much better).
I also experienced my first Braxton Hicks on our way home from Chicago. It was while we were eating dinner at a restaurant and all of a sudden I felt sharp pains on my right side. Noah was sitting on my lap facing me pushing his foot into my side and I started saying, "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Jamie took Noah but the pains continued for a few more seconds but then stopped.
During this pregnancy I've often thought more about this baby coming "early" (not premie, but maybe a week or two earlier) whereas with Noah I just knew I would outlast my due date (and was TOTALLY content with that). This time around I'd be thrilled if this baby showed up a week or two early (but not earlier than that as we're moving at the end of June!!!).
So my prediction is that this little guy will show up the week before I am due (maybe not exactly a week, but sometime in that week before), even though my official guess is 3 days past my due date.
We'll see!

no news...at all.

So I did the blood work for gestational diabetes and iron levels. It was really busy in the lab at first but cleared out within an hour and since I was there for 2.5 hours...well, I guess I had some nice "me" time. I listened to some pregnancy podcasts and tried to read a book I brought, but the sugar from the pop was making it hard for me to focus on the words (I THINK that may have happened last time too).
I went to my midwife appointment hoping to hear good things, but they hadn't received the results of the test yet! Phooey. So I wait.
The night of the test this little guy was so active that he actually kept me awake! Oi vey that was a rough night.
Other than that, things have been going well. I have gained about 11 pounds I think which is pretty good although when I tried on some of my summery clothes (shorts and capris) I was saddened to find that one pair of capris that I heavily relied on last pregnancy is just a tad too tight - especially in the love handle area. :( I knew I was getting wider, but I didn't realize it was enough to affect how clothes fit me. Oh well.
Not much to say - it was a short midwife appointment and everything seems fine.
Oh and I did notice today that one of the times they took blood from me at the lab the lady really bruised me up! I had blood taken 3 times but 3 different people and the one time blood was taken from my left arm I noticed it was a bit more painful than the other times but didn't think much of it. Well today it's all green and blue and bruisey! Oh well.
I think that's it for now.

I see

Tonight I saw the baby kick. It was pretty neat. I saw a couple other movements, but one significant kick. I waited and stared for awhile, but not too much action was happening so I stopped. But he's still kicking away! :)

kick!

Two nights ago after Jamie and I had gone to bed I started feeling the little guy kicking pretty hard so I put my hand on my belly to see if I could feel it externally and I could! So I quietly whispered to Jamie that he could feel the baby if he wanted to. He put his hand on my belly and we waited for a few seconds and then kerpow! Baby kick! This kid knows ninja moves already!

15 weeks (and counting...)

So lately I've been thinking a lot about having a girl. At first I thought/wanted it to be a boy. No particular reason why other than this pregnancy has been very similar to my first with Noah.
But I did just have a dream that I had a girl, the heartbeat was in the 160s when we heard it at 12 weeks and I think that the more I think and ponder about it, the more I think that having a girl wouldn't be so bad. :)
But the thing that's the most different with this pregnancy is where I am mentally. I mean, with Noah's pregnancy I relished and enjoyed every minute of being pregnant knowing that when he was born, I'd have to say good bye to a lot of things I loved (including sleep!) and that him being inside me growing was the easiest, quietest he'd ever be. I loved him when he was born and was happy to meet him, but I was in no hurry to be done with pregnancy.
With this pregnancy I'm totally fine to be pregnant, but I more feel like "been here, done this" and I can't wait to meet this little boy or girl. I feel comfortable and happy in my role as Mom and I know that adding another one will be more work than I can imagine at this point but I look forward to it.
But I'm definitely looking forward to finding out if we're having a boy or a girl (REALLY excited!) which will probably happen at the end of February I think.
Oh! And I think I felt the baby yesterday. It wasn't a jab or a kick or poke, but more of a slow roll. Like the baby did a slo-mo flip inside me. I'm not sure if that's what it was, and I know I'll feel him/her soon enough but it was kinda cool.

baby legs and baby movements

Last night as I sat hunched over at my computer I was fairly certain I felt the baby moving! It's hard to tell if it was just my own heart beating but I stopped what I was doing and sat quietly. It's not really TOO early, especially if you know what it's supposed to feel like.
So that was kinda cool.
Also, I recently bought a friend a pair of these which are so ridiculously adorable. If you want to know what to get baby #2...a pair of these please. :) The cool thing is they have cute ones for boys AND for girls. Very cute.