Thursday, February 20, 2014

Baby #3 - 17 Weeks!

Baby stats: This week the baby is about the size of an turnip. Her bones are hardening and her joints are working. She weighs about 5oz and is 5 inches long.

Bump picture: Taken a few days late, we were on our mini vacation in MA from Sunday to Wednesday.


I do think that I look very large for only 17 weeks. That said when I go back and look at my bump watch photos from Ben I don't think I look that much bigger?? I don't know. My girlfriends didn't seem too horrified by my gigantic-ness this weekend, but maybe they were just being nice. The kids are slightly obsessed with the belly. Ben gives the baby kisses and hugs several times a day and as soon as he starts Lily has to get right in there too. It is adorable, and only slightly embarrassing when Ben decides the checkout line at the grocery store is the perfect place to give the belly some lovin'.

How you doin'?: Still feeling really good. We stayed in a hotel while we were away this past week and the kids and I slept in one room. No matter what, sleeping in the same room with Ben is never a good idea. He is a noisy sleeper and at any point in the night if he remembers that you are in there...he wants up. Matt stayed with us just the first night, which was by far the worst night's sleep I got. We had a king bed but Lily insisted on sleeping perpendicular to us in the bed. She kept assuring me that she was "being snuggly", I begged to differ.

Still having slight aches and pains in my hips and back. The pain under my ribs is still there too but as I mentioned last week I am sure it is just a phase and that as my body changes these aches will subside. I just couldn't be more grateful that I am not having headaches and that the queasy feeling is a distant memory.

I have definitely started to worry a little more about our big ultrasound next Wednesday. I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong, but at the same time I also know just how powerful my brain can be when it sets it's mind to worrying. All I can do is pray and try and keep my mind from going to dark places. Just as I said a few weeks ago, physically I am feeling great so I have no real reason to worry.

While spending time with my girls this past week the inevitable question of whether or not this was "it" for us came up. I hate to even think about it, honestly never being pregnant again, it just makes me sad. That being said I don't know if I can go through all of this again. I am not really all that worried about the stress it puts on my body, but mentally and emotionally I just don't know if I have it in me. Time will tell and pregnancy amnesia will likely set in but I know for certain that I am not as blissfully unaware as I once was.

Aversions/Cravings: I have made good on my proclamation of last week. I will eat anything and did when I was on vacation. Again, nothing crazy, but I have thrown all of my picky tendencies out the window. For the first time in three healthy pregnancies I am not looking forward to getting on the scale next week!

Sleeping: This isn't a good week to measure sleep given the hotel shenanigans. I really stink at going to bed early. I am sure that I would feel better in the late afternoon if I went to bed earlier at night. As it is right now I could easily nap most days, but don't because I am a terrible napper. By the time the evening rolls around I get my second wind and before I know it is 10:30. I haven't been waking up as much during the night and so when I do get to bed at a reasonable time I get a pretty good night's sleep.

Movement: Still not as consistent as I would like. I would love to look at Lily's baby book and see what I wrote about movement, but of course it is in storage. From what I can tell from my blog I started feeling Ben consistently around 18-19 weeks. I suppose I should cool my jets, easier said than done. I did feel several kicks from the outside on Sunday night so that was super exciting.

Milestones: Outside kicks! (16w6d)

What I am looking forward to: Next week is a big one, doctor appointment and big ultrasound on Wednesday AND if the stars align we close on the house on Friday.

Worries: Quad screen jitters have definitely returned.

Let's compare: 

I didn't even know what the quad screen was with Lily until we got the positive results back. With Ben I had to really fight to have them done, the nurse in my OB's office was adamantly against it due the chances of getting a false positive. Um hello, we had already had a 'real' positive. I know I am more worried this time around.

I think I feel physically about the same, maybe more tired this time, but our living situation has everyone sideways so I could just be feeling effects of that. I also didn't try to accomplish something as life changing as selling a house, living with my inlaws while raising two toddlers, and buying a new house during either of my other pregnancies ;)

I have never eaten more in my entire life, let alone during my other pregnancies.

Best moment of the week: We had a great time on our mini vacation so it is hard to pick just one moment. I think if I have to name just one...it is this.



6 comments:

  1. That is seriously the most adorable picture ever of L & E.

    I'll be thinking of you next week!! I think you should call your bump a "bump" in the near future. ;-)

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  2. Best. Idea. Ever. (Totally patting myself on the back for this one). Yay baby bump. I wasn't simply being nice, it looks bigger in pictures than in real life. Looking forward to good, happy, healthy news Wednesday and Friday. Xox

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  3. Hi April- I'm new to your blog. Found you from your guest post on Julia's. Just wanted to say hi, and I've been enjoying reading your blog and seeing another New Englander! I live in MA, grew up in coastal NH and went to high school in ME :). You look great at 17 weeks! I don't know your history with the quad screen, but hope all goes well for you. That big ultrasound is always so exciting!

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    1. Hi Sarah! Thanks for commenting and the well wishes! Welcome :)

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  4. I hear you on not being able to emotionally handle another pregnancy---exactly how I felt during CC's first trimester. I would break down about it sometimes, like 'I think this has to be the last time I do this, I can't do it again'….and here we are;) But I hear you and I'm sorry the anxiety is at a high right now.

    Didn't know your Quad Screen was positive with Lily! What ever happened with that? A scan?

    And best of luck at the ultrasound!! Healthy baby vibes being sent your way----I'm still riding the high of ours and hope you get a sense of relief after Wednesday, too!

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    1. Thank you for saying you understand, that is all...just thank you.

      After we got a positive quad screen result with Lily we had a series of level II ultrasounds which pretty much cleared her of having a serious birth defect, not that I wasn't completely panicked. When she was born we discovered that she did have some developmental abnormalities (deep dimples at the base of her spine and on her chest) after multiple trips to the pediatric hospital for ultrasounds of her spine the doctors were able to determine that she does not have permanent nerve damage. She was delayed with standing and walking, is ridiculously clumsy, but for the most part is completely unaffected...no small miracle!

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