The Bump II {11} - Jack's Birth Story

I'll admit - the timing of this delivery was welcomed but also met with a ton of anxiety. I had known for quite awhile that my doctor was on vacation from March 4-8. When I found out, I was all like, "No biggie big. I don't mind having a different doctor but let's be real, I'll deliver way before then anyway!" If I went early, I at least wanted to make it to March 2 so that I could attend the Sunflower Pancake Breakfast with my boys on March 1. And really, I didn't mind going late either. I'd get to enjoy a few more "nice" days of maternity leave. As the days before his vacation dwindled though, I got a nagging feeling my time with Bump II was coming to a close. I cried on multiple occasions to Gary with sad feelings and wanting my doctor there. BUT I was also getting incredibly uncomfortable - so was more than okay when go time appeared :)

As most nights in the last few weeks had been going, I woke up around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, March 6 and simply couldn't fall back asleep. After stirring around for an hour I finally decided to go downstairs and watch some tv. I really wanted to fall back asleep so after one episode of Top Chef, I went back upstairs. At this point, I started feeling what I considered to be braxton hicks. They were measurable and relatively consistent so I still kinda freaked out a bit. I woke Gary up in a slight panic. "Was this it? How do we know? This could be the real thing but it may not be!" At 4:45 a.m. or so, I decided to take a shower to see if they would continue.

They didn't.

I was slightly relieved but that didn't last too long. The contractions started back up again a little bit later and though they came and went several more times over the next few hours, with each return they were definitely stronger. At this point I thought perhaps this was in fact early labor and decided to stay home for at least the morning. I wasn't fully convinced this was the real deal so I really thought I'd be going in to work after they went away. Owen went to daycare and Gary went to work as well. Why did I let him leave? Silly me.

By 10 a.m. I couldn't handle it anymore by myself. I was an emotional mess even after I kept myself busy with dishes and loads of laundry. I caught Gary as he was headed in to a meeting and said, "COME HOME" as I choked back tears. At this point they were mildly painful but I still wasn't fully convinced anything was happening. By 12:30 p.m. we decided it was time to find out. After taking a picture of what could be the last bump photo, we headed to the hospital.

As we were when Owen was born, we were the only OB patients for the day and got the big delivery room. And again, upon the initial exam, I had made ZERO progress. I wasn't too shocked; I even said as we walked in that I wasn't convinced that we'd be staying.

Our nurse wanted to wait a couple of hours to check me again so we decided to walk around the hospital. At this point, the pain was a bit more and I kept thinking, "WOW, this must be going really fast or at least I hope so!" The pain level was definitely higher than it had been this early with Owen and within a couple of hours of contractions with him, I was 6cm. When it was time to be checked, I thought for sure I'd be at least 4 or more cm along but sadly, I was a mere 2cm. Though thankfully, because I had made progress, I was officially admitted!

As the contractions got worse, I quickly realized how hungry I was. I had been way too preoccupied at home to even think about eating so I sent Gary to pick us up some lunch from the Co-op. I just had to have some garlic lover's pasta salad :) As I waited for him to return, I went down to visit my previous co-workers in the marketing department. I held a brave face as I worked through some more contractions but it helped to pass the time while I was without my husband. After we ate and rested a wee bit, I then sent Gary to pick Owen up from daycare and get him settled with his grandparents at our house. (I'm pretty sure at this point we had also turned on Food Network; we watched Diners, Drive-ins and Dives ALL DAY! I couldn't have picked a better time to go in to labor! This is a show we used to watch all the time with we had cable) While Gary was gone this time, I got checked again and was at 4cm. The pain had gotten incredibly intense and I kept thinking WHERE ON EARTH IS MY HUSBAND! Looking back at my texts, I sent him a message at 5:19 p.m. that said, "I need you here!!" Thankfully, he returned right around the time my epidural did at around 5:30-5:45 p.m. How people are able to go without one is beyond me. I can't imagine fighting through the ever increasing pain and then having to push out a baby...

As it had done with Owen, the epidural slowed my progress (or at least didn't speed it along). By 7:30-8 p.m., I had only made it to 7cm. The doctor on-call decided to give me pitocin at that point. By 10:30 p.m. or so, I was fully dilated and I felt that I was physically ready to labor down. Mentally, not so much. Almost immediately I started to shake and cry. I remember how this went with Owen and feared that I'd experience that and more with Jack's delivery. With Owen, my epidural was either turned way down or lost efficiency after nearly 12 hours and I felt just about everything, in all its painful glory. By 11:15 p.m. I somehow was able to push that aside and said I thought I could start pushing. Much to my surprise, I had no pain! (Seriously, epidurals are the best!) I felt really okay while pushing but little man wasn't having it. Near the end his heart rate dropped so after a push or two more, he was born with the assistance of a vacuum at 11:45 p.m. And might I add that Triple D was on all the while :)

Once I was taken care of, the doctor said I could have a little more skin-to-skin time before we took Jack's stats. But after hearing the nurses say how big he seemed, I was really eager to find them out officially. I was thinking maybe 8lb or so. Crazy me - our little nugget was 8lb 14.5 oz!

Jack Henry, born at 11:45 p.m. on Friday, March 6.  8lb 14.5oz and 21 1/2 inches long.

This time, I can really say easy peasy :)

Welcome, Jack Henry! We are so lucky to call you our son! 

The Bump II {10} - A Look Back: Bump Comparisons!

A lot of people thought I looked a LOT bigger with Jack than I did with Owen. I definitely popped a bit sooner and he most certainly felt more heavy. You can see the comparison below to prove that everyone was correct. WOW, Jack was a big baby!

Here's a look back at my bumps with BOTH boys :)

The Bump II {9} - Recap: 36-40 weeks

I was 15 minutes shy of making it to my due date - let's count that as lasting a full 40 weeks, shall we?

Energy & Motivation
This pregnancy seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye - and so did my energy! Though I feel like I could handle the bump for quite a bit longer than I did with Owen (as far as being comfortable and such), I definitely felt a little more limited. It took a lot of energy to do e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Walking up a set of stairs was hard and caused many bouts of shortness of breath. I always hoped that I wouldn't have to talk or answer the phone when I returned to my desk at work after going to the bathroom or running down to ask a question or two. Also, I reduced how often I had to pick up Owen. I just couldn't do it - he got so heavy! I decided one day to let him try climbing up the stairs (which we never allow him to do) and what a natural! He mastered our super tall stairs the very first time (he never stops to amaze me!) With the lack of energy, I wasn't all that motivated to do anything. I just wanted to get through each and every day in one piece. I'm thankful that the last set of four weeks crossed off a bunch from a growing to-do list.

Cravings
Surprisingly, no cravings! At this point in the pregnancy, I just needed to feed myself. It was difficult enough to come up with meals of any kind for us but I can honestly say I was quite happy to eat sandwich roll-ups every single day for lunch at work. I'd sneak in a cosmic brownie or pudding because why not! I still managed to come in at the exact same weight as I did with Owen so those extra goodies now and then didn't bother me one bit. 

Pregnancy Symptoms
Though I was definitely bigger with this babe than I was with Owen, I do feel like I had such a more pleasant experience with pregnancy symptoms at this stage. Sure, I had heartburn and a bit of swelling but in no way shape or form to the degree I did with Owen. How I managed that is beyond me. I was emotional at times, short tempered a lot (sorry Gspice) and a little anxious about having a second child. And this child kept getting bigger and bigger. I could tell because my upper bump kept itching! I was also experiencing more braxton hicks near the end. I had a very mild version of braxton hicks so no complaining here!

Movement
Knowing now how much he weighed, it surprises me that our little peanut was able to move around as much as he did. It was still a little uncomfortable physically but such a wonderful reminder of what we had in store. He remained low and in position the entire time too. I was thankful for that but made my bump SUPER HEAVY.

Bump Update
Can you say - HUGE! I most certainly out-wore stripes. Oh well. That's all you can do when just about every piece of clothing no longer fits :)

The Bump II {8} - Recap: 32-36 weeks

Energy & Motivation
I'm glad we've made it through this last set of four weeks.We started it off with Owen having a nasty cold. Poor guy coughed so much one night, we took him to urgent care early the next morning. There he was diagnosed with bronchitis and an ear infection. I, too, had a pretty nasty head and chest cold but was in the clear for anything else. Sadly that took every last bit of energy I had for a solid 2 weeks. We have very little lingering affects still but nothing like before. Thankfully, as the cold dissipated, I got incredibly motivated! Nesting has come in full swing - baby proofing for Owen, moving my desk, sorting baby clothes, putting this little bundle's nursery space together, organizing closets and on and on. I wish I could do more but my body just can't handle it. I've worked myself too hard a couple of times and each time the next day my body was screaming, "What are you doing to me?!" Once I had an incredibly sore lower back and another time felt braxton hicks, unusual for both pregnancies so far. And now, when I'm starting to recognize when I should slow down and take a break, I cannot get comfortable (like in this very moment! Thank goodness for Top Chef on Hulu Plus! Side note: I am so happy it's now on Hulu Plus but I  am four episodes behind since they are locked. I'm going to need to stay off Facebook so I don't accidentally find out the winner of this season!)

Cravings
I cannot keep my hands off of Cosmic Brownies. Sadly, I try to keep it to just two a day and I don't always succeed. Gspice took the last brownie one time and when I found out, I'm surprised I didn't chop all his fingers off. Somehow, I've only gained 23 pounds so far and I'm really unsure how. I eat way too much of all the wrong things - sweets and carbs primarily. I'm also starting to want beef jerky again. I can't wait until I'm not pregnant just so I can make some. Bridget & Dad - let's set a date!

Pregnancy Symptoms
Tums and my preggo body pillow are my two best friends. I'm not sleeping so well these days but they definitely help. I find that if I go a couple of days without using the body pillow between my legs, I don't sleep at all because my hip hurts and will continue to hurt all day long. Lesson learned! My bump is now super-sized so turning around is an Olympic event. I don't always win. Just the other day, I slipped while doing something stupid (walking down a snowy hill) and definitely pulled something or got something out of place. Not only could I BARELY walk but I physically couldn't turn from side to side while laying down. During the night, I like to turn over at least 4-6 times a night.I woke Gary up this particular night because I was crying from so much pain trying to turn over. I somehow managed to sleep on my right  side for the entire night. Other symptoms include starting to feel a little swollen after a long day but nowhere near the elephant feet I sported with Owen yet. My hands too - I took off my rings at 35 weeks this time around.

Movement
Little man still moves around quite a bit but he's definitely super low. The kicks and punches are now well below my bellow button. Being so low makes my bump feel even more heavy than before and every once in awhile, the nudges get a wee bit uncomfortable. I can hardly complain though. He likes to keep really busy during the day and is relatively quiet during the night. All my moving around though does wake him sometimes.With as much movement that he does provide, I can imagine that he'll be just like his very busy big brother.

Bump Update
I'm getting bigger and bigger every day! My clothes are reaching their maximum stretch capacity and I'm in definite waddle mode now :)

The Bump II {7} - Recap: 28-32 weeks

Energy & Motivation
I can hardly believe yet another four weeks have flown by. I honestly feel like I just wrote the last update. It has been quite the month though.  Let's just do a quick recap. 29 weeks - Owen had a fever for four days. 30 weeks - anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Camp! This felt like the longest week ever! At least we were all healthy! 31 weeks - Owen got a stomach bug, then I got it too. Made me appreciate the fact that I never had morning sickness sooooo very much. And then at 32 weeks - Owen got (and still has) a nasty cold and I got a super fun sore throat. Despite more sickness, I found a few brief moments of energy to do simple things. Laundry, the dishes.........and that's about it. At this point, I call that success :) We were also able to purchase about 90% of the items we need for baby #2. And even better - we've officially got the crib set up! I was feeling super anxious this past weekend so I made sure it got put together. Thanks, Gspice!

Cravings
If you can believe it, absolutely nothing. It's so difficult these days to find things to eat that I'll actually enjoy. Sadly, most everything I eat is a disappointment. The one exception - the chocolate chocolate muffin from Kwik Trip. O.M.G.

Pregnancy Symptoms
Not much new here except that I definitely have more heartburn now than I did before. And it's all the time. Standing up, sitting down, laying down. Will this little bug have more hair than Owen? I suppose we shall see! I also seem to be a bit more anxious and emotional these days. I have the occasional freak out or meltdown. Apparently, one night when I went to bed early, Gary wanted to leave and pick up something at the store. He was kind enough to wake me to ask if that was okay. I don't recall this but I cried and said something like, "you can't leave me!" Ummm.......

Movement
Still LOTS of movement. I'm not completely sure but I think he's dropped too. I feel super heavy near the bottom of my bump at times but then not at others so perhaps he's still squirming all over the place. One thing baby #2 does that completely freaks me  out - making sure there's always a movement right where my belly button is located. Wow, that is an awkward, almost terrifying feeling. I realize with all this movement that he's still got a lot of room to grow and this bump is nowhere near as big as it will get! Gspice has gotten to feel his movements quite a bit but I can't seem to get Owen to care enough just yet. Does that surprise me? Not in the least. At this point I just need to keep him from hitting or kicking the bump himself!

Bump Update
Sorry everyone, I'm not having twins. Take a look at someone who is or did at 32 weeks and you'll see the difference. People are just not used to seeing such a short person pregnant. I've got a short torso too so out goes the bump. I still feel huge myself but every once in awhile, I look in the mirror and see a normal looking bump. That'll get me through the next 6-10 weeks!

The Bump II {6} - Recap: 24-28 weeks

Energy & Motivation
I have no idea where the time has gone. I have a groggy memory of the past four (now officially five) weeks, due to pregnancy for sure but also lots of activity. Owen turned O-N-E, lots of sickness between the three of us, doctor visits, Thanksgiving, one successful cookie swap, another cookie swap attempted, meeting Santa.....you name it. I blinked and am now at 29 weeks! I am entering the uncomfortable stage a tad sooner this time around so let's hope I can keep blinking the time away (but only when I am severely uncomfortable!) It seems as soon as I posted that I had finally come back to life and was excited to get a lot accomplished, my energy and motivation disappeared. But let's be real, life with a busy busy one-year-old, a full-time job and all that activity during this time zapped it all up. I'm hoping that after the holidays I feel some nesting tendencies because there really is a lot I'd like to do before baby #2 arrives!

Cravings
Ramen Noodles. That's all that really needs to be said. Sure, I still like sweets but I certainly don't crave it like I did with Owen. Chocolate has always been a weak spot for me so that's what I've been having tons of lately too.

Pregnancy Symptoms
I have low iron levels but I have (until past 28 weeks) been weary of taking any iron supplements. I'm not a huge fan of the potential side affects so I simply didn't take one often. I traded the possibility of those side affects with feeling miserable. Nice trade-off, huh? I'm not talking super uncomfortable miserable, but a serious lack of energy, exhaustion, rapid heartbeats, shortness of breath and a lack of concentration. My advice, just take the supplement! I also began having slight heartburn but definitely not like I did with Owen. It is pretty subtle and I've only had to take Tums a couple times. However, I seem to feel it more when I'm not lying down. Weird.

Movement
I don't recall if Owen was this active but my goodness, baby #2 is a mover! I feel him at all hours of the day. He seems to react or wake up most when I eat or move (or flop around all night long!) but also at random times too. What's interesting is after reading my 24-28 week update with Owen, I think babe #2 is positioned the exact same way! I think his head is down on my left side as I feel more hiccup-like movements there and his hands near my belly button. I don't have the rib pain like I did with Owen but I'm sure now that I said it, rib pain will commence. I see most powerful jabs or kicks near the upper right side. During times that I'm feeling like I have trouble concentrating, this is one thing I love feeling. I'll zone right in and just wait for another kick or punch.

Bump Update
I have definitely POPPED. I thought I was huge with Owen but no, no, no. This is definitely bigger! I'm still getting a lot of sympathy giggles and looks of surprise and up until now that was okay. I may just be feeling super grumpy but be kind to your short pregnant friends (or that random short pregnant person you see on the street or in a store). We already know what we look and feel like! And no touching! I'm growing more and more protective as the bump grows so keep the hands off for your own protection. I might bite :) I've packed on a few more pounds but I'm still about 11 pounds under my final weight with Owen. My goal has been to not exceed that amount (though I will not be upset if I do) and it seems like that is attainable!

The Bump II {5} - Must Haves for Baby #2!

I thought it might be nice to share a few items we plan to buy for our next baby boy. There are a lot of things we'll be able to reuse but also a lot we won't because they will be too close in age (only 15.5 months apart!) or because we'll have babe #2 in our room for a few months. That means we'll need to buy double of some items, but really, it's not as bad as I thought it might be. After baby #2 moves in with Owen, we'll be able to sell most of them. And after doing some thinking and searching, I've come up with a few items I'd like to replace too.

MUST HAVES

Fisher-Price Piano Gym, Kick and Play - we have an activity gym that Owen loved but I would like to replace it with the piano gym. It will provide more developmental joy as our next baby boy kicks and wears himself out :)

Stork Craft Convertible Crib - we have one of these for Owen and really like it! Because it's a convertible crib, the one Owen uses now is the one he'll use when he graduates to a big boy bed too. Of course, we'll also need another mattress, waterproof crib pad, crib sheet and crib liner. We put Owen in his crib from the very beginning and we plan to do that with our next babe too.

Trash Can - out with the diaper genie and in with a more practical purchase. This just makes so much more sense for the future use of the trash can. When our babes are out of diapers, we'll no longer use the genie we have and because it only kinda works (the lid is a struggle to fully close and latch), it may be a hard sell.

Video Monitor - we actually bought this for use with Owen but never set it up. I knew that when we added another to the nursery and when Owen goes to a big boy bed, I'd like to be able to see what's going on so that's why we never returned it. I just need to find a good spot for it!

TwoGiggles 5-year Baby Album - this is one of my absolute favorite baby items I have for Owen so I most definitely ordered one for baby #2. (View Owen's baby book!) His has lime green stripes and baby #2 will look like the image above.

Munchkin Bottle and Nipple Brush - we have a bottle brush now but it needs to be replaced. I've seen good things about this one and I feel like the sponge on top will provide a better way to clean the inside of the bottle more efficiently.

Fisher-Price Booster Seat - we have a perfectly good high chair now but I'd like something more mobile. The one we currently have takes up a lot of room in our small space and with two babies needing to be fed, the booster seats (one for each boy) will be more practical.

Waterproof bibs - After going through one messy baby, I've determined that these waterproof bibs are fantastic. I don't like to do laundry often if I can help it so being able to rinse them off is super nice. I'd like to get rid of most of my other bibs so we'll be buying a few sets of new waterproof bibs.

Graco DuoGlidder Classic Connect Stroller - We decided on this stroller after seriously considering buying a much more expensive side-by-side option, the Baby Jogger 2012 City Mini Double Stroller. I was pretty sold on the side-by-side aspect and that pretty much took over. But with the Baby Jogger, you have to buy all the accessories separately so it came out to be reaaaalllllly expensive. So in came the more economical but still very good Graco tandem option, of which Gary is a fan. We'll need to buy the coordinating car seat as well. (I'll admit, I'm sad we'll be saying goodbye to our Chicco Keyfit 30, so if you know of anyone who needs one [in a different style but still blue], we'll be selling it soon! It expires in 2017, in great condition and has never been in an accident. Comes with the stroller and car seat/accessories)


WISH LIST

I Love You Night Light - this is just too cute not to want. I always felt Owen's room was too dark in the middle of the night so this will be nice to use if we decide to actually buy it.

Personalized Double-Sided Blanket - oh how adorable! I'd love for each of our boys to have their own blanket in gray with their names spelled in lowercase cursive. They are a bit on the expensive side so not sure if we'll splurge for this wish list item!

The Bump II {4} - Recap: 20-24 weeks

Energy & Motivation

I've been so busy the past few weeks so I can't say I've gotten a lot done but I have definitely gotten back some energy. I'm so glad this has happened because for the past few weeks I have successfully planned our weekly menu (lunch and dinners) and followed it about 75% of the time. To go from literally eating the same (separate) meals for months on end to this is amazing (This couldn't have come at a better time. Dare I say I was getting sick of tomatoes...) I'm really enjoying the time to figure out what we could have and then come up with a grocery list that goes about the store most efficiently. One thing we need to work on is to determine other items we need to buy for the week too, like toiletries and other house supplies. We've always bought those items on an as needed basis but that always meant we were more likely to grab food items that we didn't necessarily need. With this little babe on the way, we need to be better about all that extra spending!

I'm anticipating a few more brain cells to free up now that Owen's birthday has come and gone so I will be making and following our preggo and eggo to-do list closely. I've got some exciting ideas rolling around up there and now is the time to get some of these things done!

Cravings

Cravings with this little mister have gone from greasy to salty to sweet. For about 17 weeks it was all about the hashbrowns and literally just that. I could have eaten those at every single meal. Then came the insane desire to have my dad's homemade beef jerky. I was sooooo ready to tackle that one myself but he cautioned me against it and then so did my doctor. Well fine. This was during the time I was horribly unmotivated to do anything so I ate pasta and tomatoes for just about every evening meal. That got old at about 20-21 weeks and luckily so did my desire to have beef jerky. Instead, that craving was replaced with all things sweet. I'm trying to not indulge quite as much but that's just plain difficult when your co-workers bring in lots of treats or there are leftovers from events. At home, it's pretty much been powdered donuts. At work, if I truly can't help myself, I go grab a king size of peanut butter M&Ms that specifically says to "share" on the package. I'm pregnant - does that count as sharing? I can tell he likes it because he'll move around like crazy when I eat them.

Pregnancy Symptoms

Looking back at the symptoms I had when I was pregnant with Owen, I think I'm pretty lucky. I haven't yet experienced heartburn or acid reflux which I hope continues. That was pretty awful and annoying. That has been replaced by the occasional massive headache and some joint pain that comes as goes. Sleeping isn't too bad these days either which has been nice. I'm not completely bothered anymore if I wake up and can't fall back asleep right away. One night I just turned the lamp on and read until I got tired enough again. Gspice just sleeps right through it. Darn him.

Owen did get sick a few weeks back, which was manageable. But then I got sick. That was no fun. I'm not 100% sure it was exactly what Owen had but if it was, I was pretty contagious so I opted to stay home for a few days. I was well enough to work a little from home which was nice. What I didn't appreciate was the massive number of fever blisters I got on my lip - holy cow that was brutal. I could tell they weren't cold sores that I am used to getting because that usually is just ONE and I can typically address it before it gets too out of control. With these, I put on Abreva like it was my job and they still got to a pretty terrible state. Ew. Ew. Ew.

Movement

Baby movements are still pretty limited even though I know he's busy squirming and moving about. I can feel lots of hiccups and some really soft kicks and punches. I've had Gary feel a few times but the little stinker decides to be stubborn and stops whatever movement he's doing. I think that means I just need to eat more peanut butter m&ms :)

Ultrasound!

We had another ultrasound at 20w2d which confirmed this little boy is healthy and progressing like normal. They estimated he was about 13 oz at that appointment and his heartbeat to be right around 150. We never heard the weight estimation with Owen but I suspect they were similar in size. Let's hope - I loved Owen's squishy newborn size! 

This may be the most unusual gender photo I have ever seen....

Bump Update
I have definitely grown a bit faster with this one. I've only gained about 5-6 pounds at this point but man, this is quite the bump! It hasn't bothered me one bit but a few people have expressed surprise knowing I'm only so far along. Yes, I know. March is still 3 1/2 months away. I don't need you to remind me :) However, when I look at the bump in the mirror, I know there's a lot of growth left to happen. I was huge with Owen at the end and I'm nowhere near that uncomfortable stage yet. I'll admit, I'm not really looking forward to that!

The Bump II {3} - Recap: 12-20 Weeks

Here we are, already half way through this pregnancy! This has definitely gone by extremely fast and my guess is that's because the fall is always so busy. Unfortunately, I've had a good number of sick days for lots of terrible headaches and the like but at least my energy has come back to life. I'll take it!

After experiencing what I thought to be pink eye on a number of occasions last spring, this time around has been so much easier! I've mentioned the headaches and really hope they don't come as frequently anymore. Missing work for a headache is just annoying! What a complete waste! Not so much as of late, but early on I was having lots of trouble with dizziness  and being light headed. I feel like my body has regulated a bit which I'm sure helps with my energy level :)

Sleeping is as it's been since the beginning. Frequent trips to the bathroom are completely normal and occur one to two times a night. The past week was a bit tough though. I'd get up to go to the bathroom and then be so awake that I couldn't fall back asleep for an hour or two. Having to get up a second time made me so angry!

Cravings still include those holy hashbrowns, but not nearly as much as before. My strong desire switched to homemade beef jerky which I've been told to stay away from by both my dad and doctor. Sadly, I've decided to listen to that advice. Oh well :( Really, though, I'm not craving much of anything else. Finding something to eat is still pretty difficult. Talk about annoying!

My bump had definitely appeared and has been quite a bit more obvious early on! We told people a heck of a lot earlier for that very reason :) Here's the bump on September 17, 2014.

The Bump - 15w5d

Of all our activities over the past eight weeks, the absolute highlight was our 16-week ultrasound. I was a hot mess and began crying right before lunch - while at work! I couldn't compose myself so decided to leave early. I kept myself busy at home between the tears until our late afternoon appointment. I was doing quite a bit better at that point except for having to drink the 32 oz before going in. I had to go soooooo badly! This little nugget must have been sitting right on top of my poor bladder. We couldn't confirm 100% but from what we could see, everything is going well and progressing appropriately. There was a lot of movement and flipping around - all I really needed to see :) And I must say, I am appreciative of the photos we got. They are so beautiful!

And of course - we got a gender reveal! Owen's going to be a big brother to a baby brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were both expecting a girl so what a lovely surprise :) We are so excited to have two boys be the best of friends.

 

The Bump II {2} - Recap: 4-12 weeks

Though I admit it was a surprise at the very moment we found out, I'm not completely surprised one bit that we became pregnant so quickly after having Owen. He has been one of life's most adorable, precious and lovable gifts we could ask for. We simply couldn't wait to give him a little brother or sister!

One might remember how terrified I was for much of my pregnancy with Owen. I was afraid of the possibilities and overwhelmed with worry and a wee bit of fear. Thankfully, we were very much blessed with a healthy baby boy. This time around, I am so happy that I no longer carry with me that worry and fear. I have just moments of weakness and nerves, which I feel like is a more normal reaction to pregnancy.

Because I am so much less worried, I decided to be a bit more relaxed with my doctor visits. With Owen, my goodness, I had soooo many visits. I really felt like I needed them. I had my first OB visit at 5 weeks and got ultrasounds at 8, 12 and 20 weeks. With this little nugget, I didn't go in until 11 weeks and waited until 16 weeks to get an ultrasound (of which you'll find out all the great details later!). 

Instead of the constant fear and worry, I am definitely just trying to enjoy my time with Owen and stay as rested as possible. That's hard to do with a growing toddler! Suffice it to say that even more has gone to the wayside at home. Cleaning, laundry, emptying the dishwasher - you name it. I will wait until I absolutely have to do something before it gets done. Or, it simply doesn't get done. Gspice, good luck finding your own meals. I haven't had the desire much to make us dinner anymore. Poor guy has to fend for himself!

Symptoms during the first trimester were similar to what they were with Emma and Owen. Very sleepy, the occasional massive headache, lack of interest in food - all I can deal with. And one symptom that I didn't have is a bout of allergies. Thank goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!! I remember last spring I was so stuffy and that my eyes were so dry that I rubbed them sore. It looked like I had the viral form of pink eye on at least three separate occasions. Must have to do with the seasons. Cravings with this one have been more similar to cravings I had with Emma - spicy and salty. I can actually handle not having desserts again! But the one thing that I wanted for every meal and couldn't keep off my mind during the first trimester - HOLY HASHBROWNS. Gary and I went out to eat once and I most definitely had two orders of it.

The first trimester went by so incredibly fast. I have a feeling the rest of this pregnancy will also fly by so look forward to more updates soon and the comeback of the Prego & Eggo To-Do List!

The Bump II {1} - Another Bump Reveal!

Fewer instragram photos.

Fewer blog posts.

Fewer hours spent doing anything other than sleeping.

You guessed it - we're expecting!!  

Gspice and I are both so excited to add another little one to our family. The kiddos will be about 16 months apart - this bundle is due at the beginning of March 2015. We'll have our hands full - one high energy, talkative toddler and one cozy, squishy newborn - but we'd have it no other way.

We found out right away like both our previous pregnancies. However, this time around, I was convinced that there was no chance I could be pregnant. So much so that after we planned dinner on the day we found out, I decided the perfect compliment was some of our favorite beers. Come on - cheeseburgers, the most delicious homemade fries and summer screamed "I need to get my drink on."

(let's revisit an old video for fun's sake. My college freshman self thought (and still do!) this was hilarious)

The Landlord from Will Ferrell     

With that in mind, Gspice got a little nervous and asked me to take a test. You know, just to be sure I wasn't pregnant. To appease him that is what I did. I take the test and see nothing. I decided to be cruel and run down saying it was positive. But turned out the joke was on me. Right before I head down the stairs, I see two freakin' lines! Whhhaaaaaaat?!!?!?!? So I continued on but wasn't lying when I said the damn thing was positive. Crazy! It made for a really nice night. We enjoyed our wonderful meal and I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face the rest of the night.

 

To commemorate, we took a picture right then and there of our current bellies. Gary stuck his way out and I showed what was left over from my previous pregnancy. It was really bothering me up until I got pregnant :)

Taken the night we found out :) June 27, 2014 - 3w7d