Counting Down The Days

While pregnant with Vivian the day before turning 39 weeks, I was already at the hospital, Cervidil in place, monitors hooked up and knew she was going to born the next day thanks to Pitocin. Not so much with this pregnancy.  We are just waiting for Joanna's arrival on her own time.  Honestly, I hate waiting and not knowing. I have a feeling I will go past due.  Past due and getting bigger.  Oh, boy!

I feel this labor and delivery will be completely different than Vivian's since this entire pregnancy has been different.  From not having gestational diabetes this time, Joanna had a choriod plexus cyst which is now gone, Joanna constantly moving and I rarely felt Vivian, I've gained more weight this time, I have not worked out with this pregnancy like I did with Vivian's, haven't slept as well, no swelling this time, tested positive for Strep B with Joanna.  So true that not every pregnancy you have is the same.

I have been soaking up these final moments with Vivian being the only child.  Enjoying our one-on-one time together and enjoying only getting one kid out of the car. Ha!  I think she's knows something is about to happen because she's been waking up between 4:30-5:30 am for a week now.  I think she wants as much mommy time as she can get. I can't wait to see how she reacts to her baby sister.  She loves kissing my belly and saying, "Jo,Jo."  I had to take her with me to a couple of ultrasounds and when she saw her on the monitor she screamed out her name.  So adorable.  I know they will be inseparable.  

I still cannot believe I'll be a mommy to two little girls.  Never in my wildest dreams thought this would happen.  More so happen so quickly.

Until Joanna decides to arrive in the next week or so, we are going to have a lot of fun going to the park and beach, blowing bubbles, coloring, eating ice cream, shopping and anything else our heart desires.  We are looking forward to meeting you Miss Joanna Grace!!!     

Day 2 of waking up at 4:40 am

31 Weeks

How Far along are you: 31 weeks

Weight Gain:  20 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity tops.  For my jeans I leave unbuttoned tied with a ponytail holder, but mostly live in leggings or yoga pants.

Food Craving:  Not really.

Food Aversion:  Nope.

How Are You Feeling:  Great!  

How Are You Sleeping:  Much better! 

Miss Anything:  Nope.

Any Discomforts:  I have occasional "growing pains"

Any Movement: She's little miss dancing queen.

Symptoms:  Still my nose bleeds in the morning and occasional Braxton Hicks contractions.

Labor Signs:  No

Gender:  Girl!

Mood:  Happy 

Excited For Anything:  I'm having an ultrasound on May 30th to start checking my amniotic fluids since that was the reason I was induced with Vivian.  Also, we close on our house that we sold and the house that we bought on the same day, April 2nd.    

Pregnancy A Second Time Around

Here I am, almost 22 weeks along, and laying her while Vivian naps thinking how this pregnancy has been different thus far.

The saying is true, "no two pregnancies are the same."  Which means, this labor and delivery will not be like Vivian's.  Her's was quick.  From starting pitocin to the time she was born, 7 hours.  They say the second is usually faster!  I'm already getting nervous and anxious about round two of this experience. 

Differences thus far:

#1:  Finding out I was pregnant a lot sooner than with Vivian.  With her, I was almost into my second trimester!

^^ few days before finding out I was pregnant. 

#2:  Morning Sickness!  Let me just say, I would not wish this on my worst enemy.  It was horrible.  Couldn't keep anything down and all I could do was campout on the couch as much as possible.  With that being said, do you know how hard that is to do when you're a stay-at-home mom to a toddler?  Almost impossible!   My Dr actually Rx'd me Diclegis which is a miracle drug.  I wouldn't have survived my first trimester without it!  I had zero morning sickness with Viv, hence one of the reasons why I didn't know I was pregnant.

   

^^ during my sickly day.

#3:  Exhausted.  You think your tired the first go around...wait until you add a toddler into the mix. Fatigue × 10!

#4:  Not working out like I did with Vivian.  I think I've excersized maybe 4-5 times vs working out almost everyday with her.  Chasing around and picking up/carrying  an almost 19 month old  is enough workout for me.  

#5:  Eating.  With Viv, I was eating super healthy.  No fast food, nothing fried, fruits and veggies everyday.  This one, not so much.  I snack mostly with this pregnancy and eating more sweets and not enough veggies more than I should. I guess mentally I'm preparing myself for gestational diabetes  like I did with Vivian.  I've already taken the glucose test twice.  Failed the 1 hour, past the 2 hour when I first found out I was pregnant.  When I met with Dr a week ago for baby girl having a choroid plexus cyst, he said he'll be seeing me in the next 7 or so weeks because he said I will fail the glucose test again.   We will see if he's right or wrong.  If they don't diagnose me, I will start eating better with the occasional sweets here and there.

^^ first go around with GDM.

#6:  Movement.  I feel more movement with this little girl than Vivian.  I have an anterior placenta which simply means I won't feel movement like someone who doesn't.  Its more muffled and fsint.  I think I felt Vivian a total of 5 or 6 times.  I feel this baby girl mostly at night in bed.  Faint movement and little punches.

#7:  Feeling pregnant.  I keep forgetting I'm preggo.  With Vivian keeping me busy, putting our house on the market, constant cleaning just in case someone wants to see our house and house hunting, this keeps my mind off of baby.  Sorry little girl :( Once by belly gets bigger, making it more difficult for Vivian to nap on me, bending over giving her a bath, etc, then I will feel more pregnant.

#8:  Caffeine.  As soon as I found out I was pregnant with Vivian, I cut out all caffeine.  With this pregnancy, I have a cup of coffee every morning so I can function for the day.

#9:  Sleep.  I mostly sleep on my right side instead of left vs only sleeping on my left side like before.  I even wake up during the night finding myself on my back or stomach.  

#10. Hair and Boobs.  My hair did not fall out with Vivian, but this go around it is falling out by the handful.  So annoying!  As for the boobs, hello!  They were no where close to being this big with Vivian.  When I was producing milk, yes, but geez.  Living in nursing bras already.  

I'm curious how the rest of the pregnancy will go.  Hopefully it will go by quickly like the first half!!!   

      

16 Weeks

How Far along are you: 16 weeks.  My 16 week stats during 1st pregnancy.

Weight Gain:  5 lbs.  Started at 114.6, weighed in today at 119.2

Maternity Clothes: Nope, but had to use a ponytail holder around my pant button today. 

Food Cravings: Sweets, all things carb and oranges

Food Aversion:  Thankfully I no longer have trouble eating anything.  Could be a bad sign! 

How Are You Feeling:  The exhaustion is getting better.  Definitely can tell my energy is coming back.

How Are You Sleeping:  I wake up everytime B comes to bed which is anywhere between 1-2:30 am every night.  It then takes an hour or two to fall back to sleep. Not cool!

Miss Anything:  Nope.

Any Discomforts:  I had slight pain last night.  Had a scary day two Sundays ago where I had bleeding all day long.  Thought I was having a miscarriage.  Thankfully no cramping or heavy like a menstrual cycle.  Called my OB that Sunday morning to see if I needed to ho to the ER.  He told me to come in on that Monday for an ultrasound since I had neither of the above going on.    Thank the good Lord everything was fine.  Strong heartbeat of 161 and the baby was moving all around. The NP said my body is pumping so much more blood tgat a blood vessel probably just popped.  Such a HUGE relief!! 

Any Movement:  I feel little scratches here and there still.  No big movements.

Symptoms:  The occasional heart burn.  My nose bleeds have stopped.

Labor Signs:  No

Gender:  Not yet.  Find out New Year's Eve!!!

Mood:  I've been in a great mood this past week.  I think the Christmas season has put me in better spirits :)

Excited For Anything:  Christmas in a couple of weeks and of course finding out what we are having!!

Guess what....!!!

Sign from Etsy shop: sweetMEboutique

Vivian is going to be a BIG SISTER!! 

Even though I keep forgetting I'm pregnant thanks to little miss, we are beyond excited that she'll have a little brother or sister to play with.  

This pregnancy has been way different thus far.  The fatigue is relentless thanks to my toddler, I've had morning sickness bad enough to where I'm having to take Diclegis at bedtime, I found out I was pregnant earlier (6 weeks vs 10.5 weeks) and I already have a little pooch.  

When we went to Asheville the end of September, naturally I rode in the back seat with Vivian.  The entire drive, there and back, I felt car sick which has never happened.  I was so hungry the entire time, but felt blah while eating to where I was unable to finish any of my meals.  

When we got back to B's parents that Saturday, he kept telling me I should take a test.  I knew I was suppose to start my menstrual cycle (sorry for the TMI) around Oct 9th and kept thinking I would just wait another week and a half.  

On September 6th I thought I had started, but only lasted a day.  Thought that was strange.  I did take a test a couple of days later, the test was negative.  AF returned in August for the first time in over a year after I stopped exclusively pumping in June.  I thought maybe my body was trying to get back in the swing of things. 

We got home that Sunday afternoon and decided I would go ahead and purchase a test.  Went to the store after picking up dinner for my piece of mind.

I took the test, but my results were invalid.  Guess I didn't pee on the stick long enough, lol.  I decided to redo the test even though you were suppose to use a new test.  It came back positive. I sent B to the store to buy a double pack just to make sure.  Took the test again, positive.  Took the 3rd test that following morning, positive again.  

   ^^Pic above was taken the day I found out^^

I've already had to take the glucose test twice already since I had gestational diabetes with Vivian.  The day I met with the history nurse, she ordered the glucose test for me to take that morning.  You are suppose to take the test fasting, but I had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast not knowing I would have to take the test.  It had been 3 hours so she said I should be fine since I didn't drink any kind of juice that morning.

My blood sugar for my 1 hour was 171.  Took the 2 hr test the following week and passed.  My fasting was 84 and my other two numbers were above 120 which I'm surprised my Dr passed me.  I'll still have to take the test when I'm 26-28 weeks for good measure.  I'm sure I'll be diagnosed again.  Thankful I wasn't diagnosed during the holidays!  

I'm so curious on how this pregnancy is going to go.  I'm sure it will go quickly...not much time to think about it, which is good.

We are beyond bless that God is providing a sibling so quickly for Vivian since it took us 6 years to get pregnant with her and one month with this one! 

She will make a GREAT big sister!!!