39 weeks - ALMOST TIME!

Here are some belly pics!

Nursery

Here are the pictures of the nursery & the crib under construction! My Munchkin did a great job putting it together! Brotherly love!!

And here is the final result!

Baby Shower

The girls from work threw me my baby shower a couple of weekends ago.

I know - it takes forever for me to post anything anymore! Sorry about that! :)

I can't believe how close it is getting - 3 weeks from today is my due date... even though I, along with a majority of everyone else, don't think I will make it that long...

my bet is on the end of next week at the latest!

I have a few pics to post from the shower.

I need to get the pics of the Munchkin setting up the new crib for his baby brother uploaded & posted too.

Plus Christmas is coming... seems that there are soooooooooooooo many things to do in the next couple of weeks! It just doesn't seem like there is enough time!

The table set outside - the weather was so nice!

Some of the presents...

The front walk - they had it decorated! :)

Just a small pile of the presents we got!

Yes......... Feeling like a beached whale is just great - especially when you have the proof that you are humongous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next couple of posts should be the nursery - almost done!

Just a quick update

Nothing much has really changed in the past couple of weeks since my last post. A few things have happened - like all of us catching the flu and another doctors visit.

First the story about the doctor...

I have been going to a clinic about an hour away from where I live since I first found out I was pregnant. I had decided to find a doctor that was closer. After several tries of calling offices and leaving messages with automated secretaries and not getting any call-backs - or even a live person to talk to me, I found one closer to my area. I scheduled an appointment with the new doctor, who is only 15 minutes away. So the day of my appointment, I arrive half an hour early - knowing I will more than likely spend a period of time filling out paperwork for new patients. I walk in, sign in and am directed to to the waiting room (which was a little difficult to find). This is one office of a few in the same building - not easily navigated around. There were all these pieces of paper taped to the walls saying "No Entry Past This Point" or "Check With Front Desk Before Proceeding" or "Employees Only". I finally found the waiting room and had a seat.

There were about 6-7 other women already there, waiting. One of them was called in about 30 minutes later. I was listening to the conversations going on in the room. It seemed as if everyone knew each other there - which is normal in the small community where I live. They were talking abut their appointment times and the doctor not ever being on time and so on and so forth. A lot of it sounded gossipy, but I had already been waiting over 45 minutes without so much as an acknowledgement from any member of the staff, and having the flu at the time - I was rather impatient. One of the women there was still waiting on her 9:30am appointment. It was now 11:45am. There were still 5 women in front of me - waiting on their appointments. No one was being called to be seen. I thought that maybe they were just running behind - but according to the "gossip" - the doctor never even shows up to that office until after 10:00am (even when there are 9:00am appointments). I really don't understand that. I also don't understand why - on a regular basis - these women would wait around that long. I don't think that most of them had a job that they were taking time out from like I was.

After about 2 hours of waiting - I decided I had had enough and got up and left. I had left my appointment for a couple days later with my original clinic active just in case I didn't like the doctor. Turns out - the time I would have taken to go to the appointment an hour away (and an hour back) would have taken less time than the doctor 15 minutes away. RIDICULOUS!!!!! So - I am still with the clinic I started out with... really no complaints with them anyways - other than the distance... but I think that I can live with that.

I will save our flu story for another post...

Prego Pictures

OK - so here we go....

First - from the front - I don't seem to look too big...

Second - POW!!!! - Side view! Carrying this little boy all up front!

And this is just going into my 7th month...

p.s. - Thank you to my Munchkin for taking these for me!

Yes - I have been lazy about my postings

Well, I know I have been lacking posts to this site... Things tend to get busy right when I get a chance to sit down and spend some time on a new post. I have had two doctors appointments since my last post and all is normal and uneventful. I am glad about this at this point! Uneventful is a good thing. Just the normal aches and pains of having something growing exponentially inside your uterus. I have now reached the time frame where I get to go see the doctor every two weeks instead of once a month. I have been going to the clinic an hour away, but have decided that I would like to find a doctor who is a little closer and a little more personal. This also gives me the option of going to a hospital that is not 2 hours away! My appointment today was with the clinic. My first appointment with the new doctor is scheduled for October 5th. I feel like I haven't even started getting ready for our new arrival. It seems like there is forever left - but I know there isn't.

I also have a few people asking about photos... I hate pictures of myself normally and pregnancy pictures are probably the very bottom of the list for pics of myself that I dislike!

But...

I don't have any taken just yet - so I am going to have to get my Munchkin to take some and post them... as much as I don't want to - but this is kinda why I started this blog - to try and keep everyone updated with our progress!

So - stay tuned...

Rugrat

Just a quick post here... I have another doctors appointment (regular check-up) next week - so I will post again after that (if not something sooner).

I am finally feeling the baby moving around quite a bit! This one is a kicker, as where his big brother was a stretcher! I can even see when he is kicking now. He lets me know when he likes something - or more often - when he doesn't like something!!! Place-kicker, soccer player, or boxer - I'm not sure which one of these might fit him the best - but he has strength behind him already!! I am guessing that he is going to be born just a little early... that's my gut feeling.

Overall, I am feeling pretty good on a daily basis. No more morning sickness or any type of nausea. I'm not as tired as I was during the day before. I am becoming a little short of breath more often, along with the heartburn and indigestion - but all this is to be expected.

I am getting more and more excited as the date gets closer. I have started a registry (which is new to me - I didn't register last time) and I am getting a baby shower thrown for me in November!

I am probably going to get the nursery cleaned out starting this weekend. Well - at least started to clean the room out! I have a list of things I want to do in the room - but it needs to be emptied of the "junk" first. Weekend project - but wait - won't be this weekend - we have back to school shopping to do!!! So - it will be put off yet another week! I still have time!!! :)

Growing baby bump

I had my munchkin take a couple pictures of my new and ever-growing belly last week. These are of me at 19 weeks.
I am now at the half-way mark - 20 weeks.
It seems like the due date is so far off - but when I start thinking of the things that we need to get done - it really doesn't seem like there is going to be enough time to get everything done. I am hoping the second half of my pregnancy goes as well as the first half - or like the second half of my first pregnancy! I am getting a sneaking feeling that this one is going to be a little early, but only time will tell.

I really need to come up with a list of the things that still need to be done or that we need to get. I know that I have been through this once before, but I have to keep reminding myself that it was almost 12 years ago, and as I get old (hahaha) I tend to forget things! I also have to remember that it will be the holiday season when this one is going to come into the world - from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Years. That means I have to try to get the baby things done before the mad holiday rush starts. So - in my strange way of thinking about things - I really only have a couple months to get the baby things finished. The thing about this is that we haven't even really started yet. I believe that everything will turn out okay, though.

And it's a ...... !!!!!

Yesterday I had my ultrasound and genetic counseling.

The genetic counseling consisted of going over my family history back to my grandparents and my man's family history also. They were getting information put together to assess a risk factor for any birth defects that could be possible since I am a high risk pregnancy. The only risk that they were able to come up with was my age! 35 is the age where pregnancies turn to the high-risk category and I just turned 35 a week and a half ago.

Other than that - everything is great!

The ultrasound was what they call a detailed ultrasound. It takes (or in my case it took) over an hour to look at everything they need to examine. They look at what seems like a hundred views of the heart, check the heart rate, count fingers and toes and finally - tell us the gender! They also mentioned that the baby was the size of a baby a week further along than I am. (19 weeks 4 days vs. 18 weeks 4 days) It might be an early baby!

IT'S A BOY!!

My munchkin is so happy to be having a little brother. I think that he was worried that it would be a girl because his dad was "positive" it was a girl. I was actually leaning towards the girl aspect too... but didn't really have any definite idea.

Now we can finally get names going and buy clothes and get the nursery ready.

one more week...

I have anxiously been awaiting my ultrasound appointment scheduled for next Monday... One more week until I find out if it's a boy or a girl. Last night the baby moved (maybe?) and my stomach felt strange (not in a bad way). I made a noise and rubbed my belly. My Munchkin laughed and made the remark "He kicked you!". Then he walked past me and said "That's right - I said HE." I think he has made it clear on where he stands on what he thinks (wants) the baby to be. My man - on the other hand - believes it's going to be a girl. (Along with a few others). I still am up in the air - I don't have any definite feelings either way. I think that is a little strange because with my son - I "KNEW" he was a boy pretty much from the beginning. It was just a gut feeling I had. This time, though, I go from one to the other and back again... and no - I don't think it's twins - they only heard one heartbeat so far and nobody but the one showed up on the first ultrasound! :)

All I know is that either way - the baby will be able to say..........

Appointment Updates

I had 2 appointments earlier this week.

.

On Monday - I finally had the ultrasound done that they cancelled and rescheduled the week before I had gone on vacation. According to the ultrasound, I am right on track as to where we had suspected. The nurse said that we were within a week of the original due date - and they don't change anything if it's within a week - so my due date is still December 24th, 2009.

.

My second appointment was Wednesday - which was just my regular check-up. The did the usual - weight and pee in a cup. I also opted to take the blood test for the possibility of Downs Syndrome. I think that with all this talk about me being at "THE MAGIC AGE" - they have me a little more cautious than normal. Everything at this appointment was also normal. I got to hear the heartbeat again - which was a little fast at 161 b/m (I asked, and 120-160 is average).

.

I have 2 more appointments scheduled for the end of the month. On the 27th I have to go to the genetic counseling appointment along with the second ultrasound. By then - I should be just about 19-20 weeks. They should (hopefully) be able to tell the sex of the baby then! They told me that this was the "big one". The genetic counseling is - again - because I am "THE MAGIC AGE". From what I can tell - they just take a detailed family history and explain any possible risks concerning the baby and myself. This is going to be a full day for appointments. It is almost a 2 hour drive to where the appointment is scheduled for and with 2 appointments, it's going to take a while. The counseling is at 11:00am and the ultrasound is at 1:00pm. I hope this goes more smoothly than the 2 hour wait for the first ultrasound.

The bottom pic is the best one! You can see the baby's head to the right. The center pic is a leg and toes and the top pic is supposed to be of the face (which I cannot see on my copy) - this scan is a little hard to see. Hopefully I get better at this or the pics get better as they go along.

.

The other appointment is scheduled for July 30th. This is just the regular monthly check-up.

.

As far as how I have been feeling - I can definitely say I have been feeling much better. The nausea is practically non-existent. I am feeling strange pulls in my belly - but I am told this is normal as my insides are making room for baby. I am able to make it through the full day (mostly) without being overly tired. I can't feel the baby moving just yet (unless I am confusing the gas with the baby!) I am BARELY fitting in my pre-prego pants - unzipped with a rubber band is about it. Thank goodness for hand-me-downs! I got a LOAD of maternity clothes from my sisters (one with a 3-month old and one with a 19-month old). Plus a lot more baby stuff is on the way! Have I said that I LOVE hand-me-downs!

.

The next step is to get the spare "junk" room cleaned up and start getting it ready to be the baby's new room. This is probably going to be the hardest task to accomplish (it's the daddy's "play" room - where his electronics and gadgets collect). I don't think he is ready to find a new home for his toys just yet. Honestly, though - we do have a little time to get this done - so I haven't put the pressure on just yet. I think it may end up being a task I have to tackle alone - he hates putting his things away! :)

.

I think that after our vacation to visit the family last week, the Munchkin has become a little more accepting the fact that he is going to be a big brother. He got a little practice in with his new baby cousin. Plus - he is poking my belly and saying "Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle" and laughing. Whatever makes him comfortable! Gotta love it!

Ultrasound

My ultrasound appointment got rescheduled (again). The first time, they called me and pushed it further back in the day, which was fine. Then, on my way to my appointment, I got a phone call asking if I could reschedule again because the ultrasound provider got called away on an emergency and they had no idea when she was going to be back. It is an hour drive from where I am to where my appointments are. Since I am going to be out of town this next week, the appointment was rescheduled for June 29th at an entirely different location (another 30 minutes further I have to drive now also).

I am going to go on vacation this coming week! I'm going to visit family and take a few days break from this HEATWAVE that has been hanging over us for the past couple of weeks.

More updates towards the end of the month!!!!

Baby Bump

I can still fit into most of my clothes - but this is what it is going to start taking...

keeping the pants unbuttoned with a large belt to hold it together!!!

I am getting ready to go and visit my family. My sister,who had her baby 3 months ago, said she has maternity clothes to give me!! Thank goodness for hand-me-downs. I grew up with hand-me-downs (even being the oldest child...?) and with the price they want for a decent pair of maternity pants, it is a blessing to get anything!

There is one thing that I have seen that I think might be a decent investment - the Bella Band.

Here is the site : http://www.ingridandisabel.com/

They run from $20 - $30 dollars and come in different colors - pinks, yellows, blues, purples, browns, reds, greens and the basic black and white

This will keep my unbuttoned/belted look from being as tacky as it seems... Luckily I can just wear a long shirt for now to cover it - but I also know that I am on the last notch of the belt... it won't hold out for much longer. Plus - I have noticed - even though my shirts were long before - they seem to be riding up a little more now. I think it has something to do with having more space to cover! (duh! as my munchkin would say)

My ultrasound for tomorrow was rescheduled (for later in the day...) so I will definitely have an update for y'all in the next couple of days!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!

OK - now I can officially say it - "I AM PREGNANT". I had my doctors appointment this morning. They gave me a due date of December 24, 2009 - a Christmas Eve baby! Like I keep saying, though - If it's anything like my son - I'll have a better chance with the New Years Baby!

♥

I actually got to hear the heartbeat today! That was amazing! I am just barely in my 3rd month - and you can hear the heartbeat!! I don't remember that from my first (12 years ago). The nurse doing the exam said it was very good to hear that strong of a heartbeat this early!

♥

They said they wanted to schedule me for an early ultrasound to verify how far along I am - which has more to do with my age than the verification, I believe. The nurse said that 35 was the "magic age" and that's what I will be turning next month. I am going to have to go through some kind of special genetic counseling/screening because I am "old" (because of my age...). I know that I am not really old - but the way they were talking to me - you'd think I was almost ancient already! So, in 2 weeks, I have an ultrasound appointment and then 2 weeks after that is my next regular appointment.

♥

More to come!!!

11 Weeks

Well - today is 11 weeks - per all the pregnancy counter and calendars I have looked at. Hard to believe that I am almost 3 months along! I have my first doctor's appointment tomorrow - FINALLY! I will get all the details for those interested! After having to reschedule it a couple of times - I am definitely ready to get in there and get it over and done with. Then I can "officially" say that I am pregnant. I have a tiny bit of a baby-bump showing - but that kinda blends in with the non-baby-bump that has accumulated there over the past couple of years. I am still wearing regular clothes (for now). I guess only I can tell the difference - and maybe my man - but he hasn't really said anything about it. I am just really anxious to find out if I am going to have a boy or a girl. When I was pregnant with my son - I KNEW he was a boy from the beginning, but this time - I am not sure. My man says it's going to be a girl, so maybe his instincts are right - who knows for sure... I don't have a preference either way - just as long as everything is fine when my newborn is introduced into the world. I have to figure out who I am going to be getting the hand-me-downs from!! My sister just had a little girl 3 months ago, and my other sister has an 18-month old boy! Plus I have a friend here who has a few essentials still left over from when her 3-year old was younger. So - I think that either way - boy or girl - I will be pretty much covered in that department. I am not too excited about going baby shopping just yet, but I am sure that will change as the next few months pass!

Appointment update!

Well - the appointment has been rescheduled again. This time because it was scheduled at the same time as my son's end of school awards ceremony. It is now set for Wednesday morning, June 3rd. I am getting anxious about it... not really sure why - I've been through this before... but then again - I was VERY anxious the last time, too!

My morning sickness has pretty much dissipated. I feel bad a couple times a week in the evenings, but other than that - feeling better. I just can't seem to get any energy. I am feeling completely worn down - no matter if I get 4 hours of sleep or 12. I guess I probably need to get on some prenatal vitamins soon.

That is the update for now. More to come soon!

Appointment

The appointment has been rescheduled for Friday, May 29th @ 1:00pm, for anyone who is reading this! :) Will be made "official" then!

Finally - appointment time!!

Well - I finally was able to set up an appointment to get this made official by a pregnancy test at the doctors office. The appointment is set up for Thursday evening at 5:00pm. After that - I can start seeing the doctor on a more regular basis.

Going on 9 (unofficial) weeks tomorrow... Still feeling the queasiness, but I think that I have found a way to ease the severity of the feeling - EATING PANCAKES FOR BREAKFAST!!!

Not too bad of a way to start the day off... just mix up a quick batch of instant batter & I feel half-way decent throughout most of the day.

I told my baby that I am not getting morning sickness this time - but evening sickness, because that is when I really start feeling like crap. It makes it hard when I come home from work to get dinner on the table. I try my best though. Maybe I should try pancakes for dinner!

:)

"Morning" sickness...

I have unofficially hit my 8-weeks mark today. I am so ready just to get to the doctor so we can make it "official". The morning sickness this time is so different from the last time. It doesn't seem as severe - but is just more constant. I'm not really getting "sick" - just feel queasy for most of the day. The first time - it was on the dot 9:00am - sick - and then was fine for the rest of the day. I know that they say every pregnancy is different - I just hope it is as easy as my first.
I don't really even know how to completely describe how I feel about this whole pregnant again thing!
Excited.....
Worried.....
Anxious.....
Happy.....
and Scared!!!!!
but - so far - so good!

Happy Mother's Day!

Just thinking - next year - I will be mommy to 2 wonderful children... wow!

My son's reaction to the news

We told my munchkin about the big news the other day and he said that he had already expected it (because of the bathroom trash - I left a test wrapper in it). He is anything but excited about this. He has had almost 12 years of being an only child and the prospect of having a baby around just does not excite him. I am sure that there is the jealousy that any first-born feels when a second baby is announced (I am a first born). Also - I think that the pre-teen in him is starting to show its rebelious side. Another thing is that he does not like "babysitting". I believe that somewhere down the line - he will come to at least like the fact that he is going to be a big brother! I think that he will make a GREAT big brother! Maybe throughout the pregnancy, he will grow attached to the little one growing inside of me. I think that he will.

Dropping the bomb!!!

(just have always like this pregnant picture! love the footprint - (no - not me))

I just dropped the bomb on my family today! I sent out a mass email telling everyone that I found out I was pregnant! I know that seems a little impersonal - but with family spread out across the western half of the United States, it's kinda hard to get people together for an announcement like this one. I am sure that this will get mixed reactions from everyone! I am waiting for the phone calls this evening after I get home from work - and I am sure they are on the way!

So this new blog is going to be my baby blog - to help keep my family and friends up to date with everything that goes on! Gotta love the internet - when I had my son 12 years ago - the internet was still in its infancy.

So the details as I know them as of this moment is that I am about 6-7 weeks pregnant. I haven't been to the doctor just yet - when I called, they said they usually wait until 8-10 weeks for the first appointment. That means I have to wait just a little longer to have the doctor confirm what my body and 2 at-home tests have already told me. For some reason, though, I don't really feel that it is official until the doctor says "You're pregnant." Call me crazy (many people often do!) but that is just how I tend to see it.

I am not really having morning sickness just yet - just have a little bit of queasiness all day. It seems that when I eat - I am fine - but just after, I get queasy. It's almost as if the only time I am not queasy is when I am actually eating... which is not good for me... but it is good that I am not able to eat as much!!

I know that I am still in the early stages and there is not much to report just yet - but I will try to keep this updated with anything new going on!