31 Weeks

How far Along:  31 weeks, 1 day.
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  -4.
Maternity clothes:  All maternity clothes
Best Moment this week:  Last week we were able to see our little one with an ultrasound.
Movement:  BIG movements and rolls!  We have another active little one!
Food Craving:  Slushies.
What I miss:  SLEEP.
Sleep:  Comes in waves.  I'm very, very sore, so changing positions at night is awful but necessary.
Symptoms: Lots of heartburn.
Size of Baby:  Pineapple!
Doctor's Update: Everything looks great and our due date of December 16th looks to be pretty accurate from what I've been measuring.

30 week Update

Good Morning!  I can't even begin to believe that I'm at 30 weeks...almost 31.  This pregnancy continues to go faster than I would like!  I look at Tenley sometimes and think "oh sweet girl, your world is about to be rocked."  But I know she'll handle the change with ease.  She's already handled several moves so well.  I know she adapts well.  We've been asking her if she wants a brother or sister and up until yesterday she said "No." to both.  But yesterday she smiled big and said "a sister!"  So that's her vote.  Of course Daddy is still holding out for a boy, but really we're just happy to add a healthy child to our family.  Whatever gender that might be!  Do you have any guesses?

I had an appointment and ultrasound yesterday.  I had to have another ultrasound, because I continue to lose weight.  They wanted to make sure that baby was growing appropriately.  I was never concerned until I sat in the waiting room thinking about all the possibilities.  But God's will prevails - always.  Everything checked out great.  Baby is approximately 3 lbs. which is slightly above average for this point in my pregnancy.  The Dr. said if she had to guess she would say we are NOT going to have another 9 lb. baby!  That was music to my ears.  But I know that there is no way of really knowing that.  So I won't hold my breath!  It was amazing to see our little one moving around during the ultrasound while feeling every movement and kick.  I'd never had an ultrasound this late in a pregnancy before, so it was so interesting.  We could even see some hair!  Tenley wasn't born with much hair, but from the looks of it this baby has more!

We're still looking at a due date of December 16th.  So this Christmas baby will be here before we know it! Thank you for your continued prayers as our family grows!

Growing!

Oh how I'm growing.  I woke up this morning and text Mike saying "Holy cow!  I grew overnight!"  I have a very limited wardrobe of fall/winter maternity clothes.  Tenley was born in September, and it never got cool. So I have all summer items.  So I'm having to get a little creative with my normal clothes as temperatures dipped into the low 40s this morning.

I had my 27 week appointment yesterday.  Heartbeat is in the 150s and everything looks great.  I'm measuring right on schedule.  I had my glucose test yesterday long with more check ups of my thyroid (there had been some irregular levels in the beginning of the pregnancy, but they seem to have leveled off, so we check them every few weeks).  I will get all those results back this week sometime.  I do have to go back in 3 weeks for another ultrasound.  I'm continuing to lose weight, so they want to make sure that baby is still growing appropriately.  The doctor isn't concerned since I also lost weight with Tenley (and she had no problem growing to a whopping 9 lbs!) and I'm measuring on track.  But any time we can do a medically necessary ultrasound and have insurance pay for it, I'm in!  I'm excited to see baby again!  He/She will be much bigger this time around!  I'll be 30 weeks then, so after that appointment we'll start going to the doctor every two weeks.  Yikes!  That means I'm rounding third!  This pregnancy has gone so quickly.  I'm not quite ready to be a mom of two, but I know I'll love it when the time comes.

24 Weeks.

How far Along:  24 weeks, 3 days.
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  -5
Maternity clothes:  All maternity clothes except for some gym shorts and t-shirts.
Best Moment this week:  Hearing the heartbeat!
Movement:  Movements are getting much stronger.  Mike can now feel everything too.
Food Craving:  slushies, grapes
What I miss:  Energy.
Sleep:  Besides the nightly trips to the bathroom, I haven't been sleeping too poorly.  We've been exhausted from projects around the house, so that helps.
Symptoms: Belly is getting bigger!
Size of Baby:  Cantaloupe!  
Doctor's Update:  I had a checkup yesterday and everything looks great!  Heartbeat is at 143 and my blood pressure was actually low this time!  Quite the change from always being high.  Nothing to worry about.  I go back in three weeks for my glucose test and for another check of my thyroid.  Baby is growing big and strong, and most importantly is HEALTHY!

Storms

I'm skipping the 20 week pregnancy post today.  Yes, I'm half way.  Yes, it should be a big milestone.  But, nothing has changed since last week - baby is now the size of a banana.  My ultrasound is on Thursday, so I'll have more to share then!

For now, my heart is in a different place.  We had a nice little thunderstorm this morning, which made me stay in bed just a few minutes longer than normal.  I begged with the thunder to keep just a tad quieter as to not wake Tenley.  These were purely selfish motives, as I was not ready to get out from beneath the covers and get ready for work.  When I finally did give in to the alarm clock and after I dropped Tenley off at the sitter, I was driving to work to see a gorgeous sight.  I looked in my rearview mirror to see the dark storm clouds.  My back window was wet with the rain and it was tough to see through.  But as I looked ahead in the direction I was driving, I saw bright blue sky!  I couldn't help but smile thinking about how God has been working in my life and how this was such a great metaphor for my life in general.  So many times I've wanted to drive out of the dark places I was in, straight out of the storm.  When you're in the depths of the storm, you can never quite see the light- but you know it's there.  Today- I saw it.  In the form of a bright blue sky that held so many promises for the future.  Whether that be in the form of Baby #2, or rekindling relationships, success in jobs, or a brighter future with our Savior.  My mind raced back to all of the times that I was STUCK in that storm of dark clouds.  When Nick died, choices I made through college, bad decisions, etc. Where are you Lord?! I remember screaming.  He was right there all along, just on the other side of the clouds- calling out my name for me to run to him.  Run to the light.  I smiled driving into the light and leaving the past, the worry, the storms behind.  Today is a new day.  I don't know what my future holds, but I know who holds my future.

19 weeks.

How far Along:  19 weeks, 3 days.
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Well I'm sure I've gained a little, because I haven't been getting sick quite as often.  We'll find out at the next doctor's appointment.
Maternity clothes:  I'm in all maternity pants now.
Best Moment this week:  a stranger noticed I was pregnant :)
Movement:  Still haven't felt any movements since early on when I thought I was feeling something!  I'm waiting for the obvious ones!
Food Craving:  chips and salsa
What I miss:  Energy.
Sleep:  I've always tossed and turned a lot, but definitely more than normal now.
Symptoms:  I told Mike that I think I've hit a weird point in my pregnancy that I just don't feel very pregnant because I don't have all that many symptoms.  *same as last time.
Doctor's Update:  Just one week and one day til our ultrasound!!  Can't wait to see our sweet little baby!  He or she is the size of a mango right now :)

Here's what was happening with Tenley at 17 weeks:
How Far Along: 16 weeks, 6 days.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still at -15. Haven't gained anything.
Maternity Clothes: Still don't need them.
Best Moment this week: Work has finally slowed down, so now I'm finally getting a little break and am able to take care of myself better!
Gender: still not going to find out :) 
Movement: None. I'm hoping in the next couple weeks I should feel something!
Food Craving: None, I'm still getting sick every few days, so I have been really trying to be careful with what I'm eating.
What I miss: feeling like myself.
Sleep: I get up at least twice a night to go to the bathroom. Ugh.
What I am looking forward to: Our appt on the 27th!! It's the first appt Mike will be able to be at. And we will get to finally see the baby again!
Belly Button: In.
Symptoms: I still get sick every few days, but that's an improvement. I finally have some energy back on the days that I'm feeling better.
Doctor's Update: Haven't had an appt in a few weeks - next one is on the 27th. Can't wait!!

Here's what's going on with Baby #2 at 17 weeks!
How far Along:  17 weeks, 3 days.
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I honestly don't know.  I had lost at my last doctor's appointment.
Maternity clothes:  Starting wearing some shorts and a couple tops, more out of comfort than necessity.
Best Moment this week:  I'm starting to tell I'm pregnant a little bit.  I can see a little bump.  Mike thought this morning that I popped a little bit.
Movement:  I really thought that I had been feeling the flutters of the baby, but I haven't felt anything in weeks, so I'm thinking I was imagining it or it was just gas :)  Oops.  We'll call it wishful thinking.
Food Craving:  Still popsicles.
What I miss:  I've been very tired the last few days.  Barely making it through the afternoon.  I'm ready for some good sleep and more energy.
Sleep:  Just this week I've started getting up once at night to go to the bathroom.  I toss and turn more than normal too.
Symptoms:  I told Mike that I think I've hit a weird point in my pregnancy that I just don't feel very pregnant because I don't have all that many symptoms.
Doctor's Update:  Next appointment is August 2nd for our ultrasound!  No we won't be finding out what we're having, but we can't wait to see baby #2 up close and personal!!