Athena's pregnancy ups and downs

[Athena-Nadine]

Amethyst Rose and Morr have prompted me to start this thread. It will be a sort of journal, a way to keep a record of my thoughts and feelings and help to get the straight in my own mind. :)

Mark and I have decided to start trying this month now that the potential financial issues have straightened themselves out at his office. I have to say that I am extremely happy about this, but I am a bit stressed as well.

I loved being pregnant with Robert. I had a very easy pregnancy and carrying him was a joy for me, even with him laying on a nerve in my groin area for 4 months. I do remember wanting my body back near the end, and feeling like time was dragging, but I was never unhappy about it or in any real hurry for him to be born.

The last 10 months of my life have been more wonderful than I have words for. Robert is such a sweet, good natured, laid back little boy, and I love being his mother. I am so grateful that he was given to me. :) I can't believe how fast the time has gone!

So now we are starting to try to expand our wonderful family and give Robert a sibling to grow up with.

I am afraid of losing another pregnancy and having to go through that heartbreak again. I say that I don't know if I could continue to try if it happened again, but I do know that I can deal with it having already done so twice before. I just really don't want to have to.

More than that, I am worried about having a second child. Robert, while he is an easy baby, is a lot of work. Maybe it's silly, but I worry about how I am going to manage a second one while giving Robert the care and attention he needs. I worry about Robert getting jealous. I worry about him feeling ignored. Worse, I worry about him possibly actually being ignored when he needs me because of a new baby. I know that I will love my second child just as much as Robert, but what if I like the new baby better for whatever reason?

But for all of that, I am so excited. The past few months I have been waiting and wanting to try for another child. Now, I am finding that my body is craving being pregnant. It dominates my every waking thought. Some would say I'm crazy, I'm sure, but I miss the feeling of a new life inside me. I miss the kicking, the rolling, the anticipation. I even miss the heaviness and discomfort. :lol: The desire to be pregnant is so strong right now that I can almost feel it.

[Morr]

*hugs*

I can definitly understand the strong desire to be pregnant, though I am new at this and all the experience you are talking about is awaiting me a few months down the road.

I think you are both courages and strong enough to try again and handle a miscarriage. And I think that due to your history, I am sure your doctor will do everything in his/her power to monitor the pregnancy and try to make sure the pregnancy sticks. So knowing you are at a high risk is good thing -- You can do things to try and prevent another miscarriage and keep a closer eye on it, something I am sure was not done in the first couple of pregnancies you lost.

When you think about it, wasnt the loss of the other few pregnancies worth Robert? While each fetus/baby is a creation on their own, the one that did make it brought you so much joy and love -- Wasnt he worth all the trying, and hardships? I am sure he was.

I am half way through my 1st trimester and I've heard a lot of people say -- Why are you letting everyon know you're pregnant? arent you superstitious? Arent you scared something will jinx the pregnancy? Wait till youre out of the 1st trimester!!

No.
I am keeping an absolute positive state of mind.
I know the risk. I myself had a miscarriage years ago -- That crap sucks (to be very blunt).
And to be even more blunt -- Shit happens. Life happens.
Its all about attitude, state of mind and faith.

After losing those pregnancies, you did not give up despite the pain. You picked the pieces up and charged ahead through life -- And you were rewarded with Robert.

Good things come to those who wait.



I am looking forward to being pregnant with you ;)
*more hugs*

[Athena-Nadine]

*..nods...* I have a wonderful doctor. She is around my age, and has two children of her own. While I don't think those things necessarily make a better doctor, I do think it makes her a bit more empathic. I find it comforting that my doctor can relate to the worries I carry going into my mid-thirties, and that she has already actually been through being pregnant and can empathize with that as well. :)

Since my first pregnancy was ectopic, I have to go in as soon as I get a positive pregnancy test. At that point, they start taking my blood every other day to see if my hCG levels are increasing as they should. Once I am 6 weeks pregnant, I get an ultrasound to make sure the embryo implanted where it's supposed to. I also get an ultrasound at 8 weeks to reconfirm the heartbeat and placement because it's often difficult to see well at 6. From that point on, if everything is normal, my pregnancy is treated like every other normal, low risk pregnancy.

Sadly, there isn't really anything any doctor can do to help a pregnancy "stick" during the first trimester. All any of us can do is wait and hope and try to stay positive. Thankfully, since I only truly had one miscarriage, I am not considered any higher risk for miscarrying than anyone else.

Robert was worth everything I went through and then some. :) I had very little to do with him being here, in the end. I am convinced it was his choice. I conceived in March of last year, and miscarried in April at 6 weeks. It was a normal miscarriage and I didn't need a D&C or anything. Because of that, my doctor said that I could start trying as soon as my cycle came back. After that first period, we decided to wait another month for my emotional health. We made a point to not have sex while I was ovulating. The morning we did was 3 days after normal ovulation, but I got pregnant anyway. Robert had his own idea and decided that he was bound and determined to be here.

I have learned that when it is time, my next child will come. I have a feeling it's going to be very soon, though. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

I know I am not pregnant yet (as far as I know), and that there is plenty of time to make such decisions, but since pregnancy will probably be a reality soon, I can't help but think of it all already.

I had always said that after the second child I would have my tubes tied. I will be 34 years old tomorrow, and while I know that I am not old by a far stretch, each year and every pregnancy just raises my risks for another ectopic pregnancy and/or miscarriage, among other things. It has always been my desire to only have two biological children, and possibly adopt a third one day. But now I am not so sure. I keep hearing "three" in my head, and feeling that three is right, and I am starting to to wonder if I really want to permanently disable my ability to get pregnant. Mark will be 39 this April, and could easily be 41 by the time we had a third child. My brother was only 17 when my father died. I really don't want my children to have to face something so young. Yes, I know that we can all feasibly go at any time, but still.
And there's this c-section vs. VBAC thing. I can have a VBAC if I want to, with my doctor's and hospital's blessing, and had always assumed that I would, but now I'm not so sure. I was so afraid of losing Robert during his birth and I am terrified of facing the same thing again, or worse. Am I crazy for thinking that I would just prefer to have another c-section in the first place instead of going through the stress and worry and fear and risks, no matter how minuscule, that it may just have to happen again anyway? There are risks with everything, I know, but I'm starting to think I prefer the "Devil I know."

[Ceres]

You probably wont know for sure that you dont want more children after the next until you have the next. Then you will definitely feel whether everyone is present or not.

As for c/s vs VBAC - dont you want to know what you missed?

[Athena-Nadine]

I'm so sorry. I didn't see this before now.

That's a tough one for me, I guess because I really don't feel like I missed anything. To me, the end result is what matters, not the road taken to get there.

I guess, just like with everything else in life, I'll just have to take it one day at a time and see what happens. Of course, I have to actually get pregnant first! ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

OK, I will be ovulating over the next 24-48 hours, and I need some babydust, my friends! :D

[Morr]

*baby Dust!!!!!*

[Amethyst Rose]

*wriggles belly in general direction*

Baby dust!!

[KaidaMidnight]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h165/BealsGraphics2/baby.jpg http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/BealsGraphics/BabyDust.gif

good luck !!!!

[DragonsChest]

I am afraid of losing another pregnancy and having to go through that heartbreak again. I say that I don't know if I could continue to try if it happened again, but I do know that I can deal with it having already done so twice before. I just really don't want to have to. I've never gone through a miscarriage, so I can't know your fears or griefs, but I have hugs and love to send your way.

More than that, I am worried about having a second child. Robert, while he is an easy baby, is a lot of work. Maybe it's silly, but I worry about how I am going to manage a second one while giving Robert the care and attention he needs. Mine are 3 1/2 years apart and I worried too. What a cliche to tell you that it somehow works out, but it does. Not always easy, but it seems to fall into place. You'll find your rhythm and the kid's will find their place in it.

I worry about Robert getting jealous. I worry about him feeling ignored. Worse, I worry about him possibly actually being ignored when he needs me because of a new baby. You cannot escape this. You will have to cater more to an infant's needs than to those of a toddler. It's all in the manner you handle it, though. If every sentence is prefaced or ends with "because of the baby", you'll foster resentment, and you'll have some jealousy. There will be jealousy no matter what you do - that's human nature. But the more you involve Robert with his new sibling, and the more freedoms he is granted because of his older age and maturity level, the better chance you have. You'll have to find that balance. You can do it. :hugz:

I know that I will love my second child just as much as Robert, but what if I like the new baby better for whatever reason? This too will happen. But just as you have things that you like better about Robert, you'll have those other things that you like better about the new child. It doesn't mean that you really like one child better than the other, it just means that you like a trait about one better than the other. You will still love both of them with all your heart. They are both going to be precious in their own ways, unique. You don't want a carbon of Robert, you want a second individual.

But for all of that, I am so excited. The past few months I have been waiting and wanting to try for another child. Now, I am finding that my body is craving being pregnant. It dominates my every waking thought. Some would say I'm crazy, I'm sure, but I miss the feeling of a new life inside me. I miss the kicking, the rolling, the anticipation. I even miss the heaviness and discomfort. :lol: The desire to be pregnant is so strong right now that I can almost feel it. I wish you the best of luck!! Have some great knock out sex and make a great baby! :yayah:

I know I am not pregnant yet (as far as I know), and that there is plenty of time to make such decisions, but since pregnancy will probably be a reality soon, I can't help but think of it all already.

I had always said that after the second child I would have my tubes tied. I will be 34 years old tomorrow, and while I know that I am not old by a far stretch, each year and every pregnancy just raises my risks for another ectopic pregnancy and/or miscarriage, among other things. It has always been my desire to only have two biological children, and possibly adopt a third one day. But now I am not so sure. I keep hearing "three" in my head, and feeling that three is right, and I am starting to to wonder if I really want to permanently disable my ability to get pregnant. Mark will be 39 this April, and could easily be 41 by the time we had a third child. My brother was only 17 when my father died. I really don't want my children to have to face something so young. Yes, I know that we can all feasibly go at any time, but still. My mom was 40 and my dad 41 when they had me. I don't think it was a problem for them, I know it wasn't for me.

And there's this c-section vs. VBAC thing. I can have a VBAC if I want to, with my doctor's and hospital's blessing, and had always assumed that I would, but now I'm not so sure. I was so afraid of losing Robert during his birth and I am terrified of facing the same thing again, or worse. Am I crazy for thinking that I would just prefer to have another c-section in the first place instead of going through the stress and worry and fear and risks, no matter how minuscule, that it may just have to happen again anyway? There are risks with everything, I know, but I'm starting to think I prefer the "Devil I know." I had both mine by c-section. I have a heart condition, and the doctors didn't know how much I could take during birth #1. So after laboring normally for a while, it was discovered that #1 was breech. It was a kind that would have been difficult to turn and meant a long labor for me. They were worried about my stamina, so it was decided to do a c-section. With #2, I went in with every intention of having a VBAC, when #2 went into fetal distress and they lost the heartbeat. An emergency c-section was done, and the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, causing a loss of oxygen (no lasting damage TG), and ripping my uterus as the baby tried to come down the canal.. We could have lost the baby and maybe me. In both cases, I felt nothing other than completely grateful that I had two healthy children, and felt that I had missed out on nothing. I had birthed both those children, and all was right in my world.

I am completely convinced that the end result is the only measure you should take into consideration. A healthy baby and mommy -- nothing else, least of all the method to obtain those two things, matters in the least. If you have those things, you've missed out on nothing.

[Marcasite]

*baby dust for you!*

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks so much for the thoughts and baby dust, everyone! As you can see by my announcement yesterday, it all helped, and really quickly too! Seeing as how Robert was conceived the first time we tried as well (after my miscarriage), I have to say that I think my husband has super sperm! :lol: ;) It seems he just can't miss!

As I mentioned yesterday, I took the pregnancy test early, the earliest the test said I was able to get a result. The reasons for this were twofold. First, it was at the direction of my doctor that I do so when actively trying to conceive in an effort to catch any problems as early as possible. Second, I have been getting slight waves of nausea and reflux over the past 4 days or so, and that is a very unusual thing for me. I never had reflux in my life until I was pregnant with Robert. So I took the test.

I didn't really expect a positive result so soon, especially when I didn't use my morning urine, but it showed up on the test barely 30 seconds later. I suppose that's a good sign for the viability of this pregnancy.

So I called my doctor yesterday right after I got the positive test and went in at 1 PM for bloodwork to check my hCG and progesterone levels. I have to go back in tomorrow to have more blood drawn in order to determine how well my hCG levels are rising. I will have to go in every other day at least until Monday. If they rise too little, not at all, or go down, there becomes a very real risk that this pregnancy is ectopic. If they go up as they should and my progesterone levels are good, the risk drops significantly but I will still have an ultrasound done between 6 and 7 weeks (in 2-3 weeks) in order to be certain the embryo implanted in my uterus.

This morning, I also had to go to my regular doctor's office to have blood drawn to check my thyroid stimulating hormone levels because the hormones of pregnancy can mess with them and my medication may have to be changed. I will have to have this done every 2 months at first, then maybe every 3 through ny entire pregnancy.

Because Robert was over 9 pounds and because my glucose levels started rising in the last weeks of that pregnancy, I have decided that I had better make more of an effort to watch my diet, weight gain, and ensure that I exercise as I should. This is something I have been working on anyway as those factors during my pregnancy with Robert have also raised my risk of developing prediabetes. So I am assuming they raised my risk of developing gestational diabetes as well. I am going to operate under that assumption, anyway. Hopefully, that way, I'll be able to avoid it.

As I am only 4 weeks along (tomorrow) I am currently feeling perfectly fine. :) I don't even have any soreness or swelling in my breasts at all, but that could just be a result of me still nursing. I have no idea. Whatever the reason, I am grateful for it. :)

[Morr]

YAY!

I am crossing my fingers fir you. Keep us updated!

By the way, I was told that nausia and morning sickness are a sign of a healthy pregnancy and that the pregnancy hormones are rising normally -- So as much as nausia sucks, its a good thing ;)

*hugs*

[Ceres]

OK, I will be ovulating over the next 24-48 hours, and I need some babydust, my friends! :D

Musta been some kind of amazing baby dust :lol:

[Lunacie]

<snipped>

Mine are 3 1/2 years apart and I worried too. What a cliche to tell you that it somehow works out, but it does. Not always easy, but it seems to fall into place. You'll find your rhythm and the kid's will find their place in it.

You cannot escape this. You will have to cater more to an infant's needs than to those of a toddler. It's all in the manner you handle it, though. If every sentence is prefaced or ends with "because of the baby", you'll foster resentment, and you'll have some jealousy. There will be jealousy no matter what you do - that's human nature. But the more you involve Robert with his new sibling, and the more freedoms he is granted because of his older age and maturity level, the better chance you have. You'll have to find that balance. You can do it. :hugz:

This too will happen. But just as you have things that you like better about Robert, you'll have those other things that you like better about the new child. It doesn't mean that you really like one child better than the other, it just means that you like a trait about one better than the other. You will still love both of them with all your heart. They are both going to be precious in their own ways, unique. You don't want a carbon of Robert, you want a second individual.
<snipped>
.

I already said congrats A-N on the other thread, but once again... Congrats!

This is excellent advice and it worked wonderfully well with my grandchildren. My daughter never really wanted any children and only agreed because her husband wanted children so badly, but she has done a wonderful job of raising them and loving them and helping them to love each other. Katlin was already almost 4 when her baby sister was born, but even if she had only been 2 I think she would have loved to be a little helper and take her turn holding the baby (with help). One of my favorite photos of the two of them is Katlin holding Nove'Mber when she was brand new. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

Musta been some kind of amazing baby dust :lol:
:rotfl: I am telling you, by husband has Super Sperm!

[Athena-Nadine]

I already said congrats A-N on the other thread, but once again... Congrats!

This is excellent advice and it worked wonderfully well with my grandchildren. My daughter never really wanted any children and only agreed because her husband wanted children so badly, but she has done a wonderful job of raising them and loving them and helping them to love each other. Katlin was already almost 4 when her baby sister was born, but even if she had only been 2 I think she would have loved to be a little helper and take her turn holding the baby (with help). One of my favorite photos of the two of them is Katlin holding Nove'Mber when she was brand new. :)

Thanks. :) I'm starting to try to come up with ways to help make Robert feel special and important in his new upcoming role as Big Brother.

[Ceres]

I think your first always holds a special place in your heart because they taught you to be a mother, regardless of the different things you come to love about the next children.

My youngest always asks me who I love best and I know what he wants and at the same time is afraid of: that I love one of them more than the other.

The plain truth of the matter is there are times when I cant stand any of them....and times when I feel like I am filled completely with love for one of them, but those times happen with each of them in turn. I love them each individually, as they are, not in any sort of order.

I tell my youngest when he asks who I love best all the things I love about him because its who he is. If he persists about who I love best, I start listing the things I love about his siblings too. He usually loses interest at that point :lol:

[Athena-Nadine]

I went back to my doctor's office to have blood drawn again this morning (I was in on MOnday just an hour and a half after getting my BFP). I got the call from them an hour and a half ago, telling me that my progesterine levels are good, and my hCG levels went from 77 on Monday afternoon to 213 this morning! That's more than double in less than 48 hours! YAY! It's also a faster increase than I had with Robert so I'm feeling a bit more confident about this pregnancy now. http://boards.babycenter.com/dir-icon/92/2/happy.icon The even better news is that my doctor feels confident enough about it that I don't have to go back for more blood! My first official prenatal appointment is scheduled for 9 AM MST on Feb. 28th. I will be 7 weeks.

[RainInanna]

Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Amethyst Rose]

Yay! Great increase... maybe it's twins! lol :D

[Athena-Nadine]

Yay! Great increase... maybe it's twins! lol :D
Gods, don't do that to me. My mother had fraternal twins so it already runs in my family! 213 is pretty high considering that my period still wouldn't normally be due until the 10th, but I hope it's not unusually high for a single! ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

I have been nauseous for the last half hour or so.

That is all.

[Morr]

Nausia is GOOD! Very GOOD!

Means hormones are growing, baby is getting settled in, things are adjusting!

I know I know, you dont see it that way when you are sick to your stomach every single day, and when almost every other food makes you want to puke, but if you DONT eat you WILL puke! LMFAO!

But its a good thing :)

YAY!

PS -- YAY FOR TWINS!! LOL

[MysticWitch]

More than that, I am worried about having a second child. Robert, while he is an easy baby, is a lot of work. Maybe it's silly, but I worry about how I am going to manage a second one while giving Robert the care and attention he needs. I worry about Robert getting jealous. I worry about him feeling ignored. Worse, I worry about him possibly actually being ignored when he needs me because of a new baby. I know that I will love my second child just as much as Robert, but what if I like the new baby better for whatever reason?



I worry about this too. This is why I haven't had more children, but like you.. I am thinking about it and it will probably happen soon.:wave:

[Athena-Nadine]

I worry about this too. This is why I haven't had more children, but like you.. I am thinking about it and it will probably happen soon.:wave:
I'm finding that it seems everyone worries about this when thinking about or expecting their second child. My husband's best friend told him not too long ago, "The most difficult transition is going from no children to one child and from one to two." I still worry about all that stuff to some extent, but now that I am actually pregnant, I worry more about having the energy to keep up with Robert over the next 7 1/2 months and right after the baby is born. It's a hell of a lot more difficult the second time around, when you can't rest and nap through the bone-deep exhaustion of the first trimester. :D

On the pregnancy note, I officially past the six week mark yesterday. I almost didn't notice with all the running around and excitement of the past week. Wednesday was Robert's first birthday (Happy birthday, my little love!) and we had his party this past Sunday. We had so many people fly in and stay with us that I've been nuts for the last week. It was so nice to be able to spend time with everyone, and I miss them terribly, but I'm so happy to have my house to myself again. But the distraction was definitely a welcome one. :)

All of my pregnancy losses happened at or before six weeks gestation, so I am slightly less a basket case now that I've past that point. I won't start to relax, though, until my first prenatal exam on the 28th, when I get my first ultrasound done to check implantation and look for the heartbeat. Once the heartbeat is seen I'll rest a lot easier knowing that my chances for miscarrying will have dropped to almost nothing.

[Athena-Nadine]

Gods, I am exhausted. I was tired with Robert, I remember, but not every moment of every day like this. I just can't seem to get enough sleep, no matter how many hours I get. And now my head hurts from it.

Blech.

At least I haven't had to suffer with morning sickness yet, outside of occasional nausea after eating, anyway.

[Sequoia]

Aww... :hugz: I'm sorry you feel so rotten, hon!

(Hey... maybe it's a girl. I've heard girls are harder to carry. :p )

[Willow Rosette]

Good Luck with tomorrows ultra sound! That was always my favorite part of pregnancy.

I was sick through out my whole time with Toria. Nothing ever helped except Peppermint and Licorice tea. So I mixed those with respberry tea which is supposed to help strengthen the uterius. I drank that non stop for 9 mo. It will also help with the yucky reflux feelings.

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks! I'll definitely keep that in mind. :) So far, I am only very mildly nauseous and only for pretty short periods of time when it does happen. There's no predicting it right now.

I had my first prenatal visit today. I had the regular pap smear and blood draws, then my doctor did an ultrasound. She found the little bean immediately. She was able to find the heartbeat right away as well, and since she got a new ultrasound machine, we were even able to hear it already! :D The bean measured 7 weeks 1 day, which is right on target since I am 7 weeks as of today. The heart rate was 125, which is perfect. Now that the heartbeat has been found, my risk of miscarriage is down to less than 5%.

I go back in 4 weeks for a regular appointment, and in 5 for nuchal translucency screening.

[Sequoia]

Yaaaaay!! :D

[Athena-Nadine]

Morr reminded me that we have decided on a girl's name. I have no idea what name we will choose for a boy yet as Mark is convinced it will be a girl and won't discuss it. :lol: That's all right. There's still plenty of time.

If this baby is a girl, her name will be...

Alexa Chase.

For those of you who like to know what names mean (like I do), Alexa means Leader/Defender/Protector of Mankind (just like Alexander), and Chase means Hunter.

[Athena-Nadine]

I was seeing my regular doctor for my thyroid disorder already, but decided to change after reading up on hypothyroidism and pregnancy some more. My doctor wanted me to come in every 2 months for blood work and everything I've seen and my OB says that I should be going in every 4 weeks. So I called an endocrinologist on Wednesday. She came very highly recommended but the earliest I was going to be able to get in to see her was next Wed.

Shortly after scheduling the appointment I got another phone call from her office. Her secretary spoke to her after speaking to me, and she told her to call me back and have me come in yesterday, that she would extend her hours tomorrow because she didn't want me to wait a week since I am 9 weeks pregnant.

Well, my new doctor was great. My other doctor's office faxed all my labs from January on to her. I went in to have my TSH levels checked at the beginning of January because we were going to start trying to conceive again (never expected to do so the first time!). Then I went in at the beginning of February, right after I found out I was pregnant and had lab work done again.

In January, my labs came back at 2.23, which my doctor said was fine for not being pregnant and that my medication didn't need to be adjusted. I was taking 75mcg of Synthroid. For those who don't deal with this, the recommended TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels during pregnancy are between 1 and 2. In February, my labs came back at 5.72, the day after I found out I conceived, at only 12 dpo! This is very underactive (your body produces more TSH if you are underactive in an effort to stimulate your thyroid gland into working). My doctor never told me the results (and it's my fault for not thinking to ask initially) and just raised my dosage to 88 mcg.

Yesterday, the endocrinologist took one look at my labs and told me that my other doctor didn't raise my medication high enough. She raised my medication to 112 mcg of Synthroid and scheduled me to go back in 4 weeks. She was so sweet to give me a 5-week sample instead of writing me a prescription. She said she wouldn't write a prescription until I was leveled out and didn't have to potentially change my dosage every 4 weeks.

She said that I'm still OK, that the baby has been taking what it needed from me, and that it's still early enough for proper development. But of course I still worry about that and probably will until I give birth in October.

Also, she asked me some questions about my last pregnancy (I had no thyroid issues then). Even though I passed the initial glucose tolerance test at around 26 weeks, at 34 weeks, my blood sugar went up to borderline GD and Robert was 9 lbs. 3.2 oz. at birth. His weight was not genetic, as he is only 19 1/2 lbs. now (10th-15th percentile) and 29" long (around the 50th percentile) at almost 13 months old. I was 20 lbs. heavier when I got pregnant this time than last time, which made me 45 lbs. overweight, so she gave me a glucose meter, told me to monitor my levels throughout the days, and to call my OB if they go higher than the normal range. She didn't want me to wait until 26 weeks to find out if there is going to be a problem, and said that this way, I would be aware of what my body is doing, would see it early, and could control my blood sugar with just diet before it got out of hand if I do develop GD or pre-GD. It turns out that having hypothyroidism increases your risk of developing both gestational diabetes, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, as does giving birth to a baby that weighs over 8 1/2 lbs.

*...sighs...* Things were so much simpler when I was pregnant with Robert.

[DragonsChest]

:hugz:

[Athena-Nadine]

:hugz:

Thanks. :hugz: I know the chances of something really going wrong with this baby's development are slim, as I have never had untreated hypothyroidism while pregnant, but some things you just can't help but stress about, you know?

[Athena-Nadine]

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/Nallia/Baby%2002/10Weeksa.jpg

[Morr]

Wow! ITs so true, you grow on your 2nd and third and more pregnancies much faster!

I am mid 18 weeks and about your size! LOL

I better keep this in mind when we go for a 2nd little demon in a couple of years...

[Sequoia]

n'aawww!!! So cute!

[Athena-Nadine]

Wow! ITs so true, you grow on your 2nd and third and more pregnancies much faster!

I am mid 18 weeks and about your size! LOL

I better keep this in mind when we go for a 2nd little demon in a couple of years...

Oh, yes, it's true. Here is me at 17 and 24 weeks when I was pregnant with Robert. It's crazy! :lol:

[Willow Rosette]

Ohhhhh I just love baby belly pics. Thank you for sharing them!

[Kalika]

_pounce_

I can't believe I didn't see this before now... I'm so happy for you hon. :hugz:

[Athena-Nadine]

Aw, thanks! That's OK, you've had a lot going on lately. :D :hugz:

[Kalika]

Aw, thanks! That's OK, you've had a lot going on lately. :D :hugz:

:lol: That's an understatement, but anyways. :hugz: :woot: I can't believe you're almost at 11 weeks already!!

[Athena-Nadine]

:lol: That's an understatement, but anyways. :hugz: :woot: I can't believe you're almost at 11 weeks already!!
Gods, I know! It's flying by. I think it's going by faster this time than last time. But I think that's probably because I don't have the time to dwell on every tiny little thing like I did with Robert. He keeps me hopping too much! :lol:

[Kalika]

Gods, I know! It's flying by. I think it's going by faster this time than last time. But I think that's probably because I don't have the time to dwell on every tiny little thing like I did with Robert. He keeps me hopping too much! :lol:

That is a definite benefit to the 2nd round... you don't have to worry about keeping your mind off your pregnancy and the waiting game... the little tyke helps you with that. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

I just got back from my doctor's appointment. Everything is fine. She was even able to find the heartbeat relatively easily with the doppler. I was a bit surprised since I am only 11 weeks today, and there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to find it yet. It was a nice, strong heartbeat, in the 160s.

When I had my ultrasound done at 7 weeks the heartbeat was 125. As my doctor said, "That's the reason I don't go for that whole, 'the heart rate can predict the sex,' school of thought. It changes too often throughout pregnancy."

I never believed any of it either. In fact, I don't go in for any of the theories or old wives' tales about the sex of the baby. But I'm biased. Every single one of them was wrong with Robert. Everything said I was having a girl, except his late ultrasound, and even that I didn't believe fully. There is only about 85% accuracy with it, after all. They've been wrong before. That's why, when she asked me if I was going to find out the sex, I told her that we'd see what the 20 week ultrasound showed, but I wasn't going to hang everything on it. The only way to know with 100% certainty, outside of birth, is to have genetic testing done, and I am not going to have a CVS and I won't have an amnio. I certainly wouldn't have either done just to know the sex of this baby ahead of time. And, in the end, I have realized that I actually care less about the sex of this baby than I did when I was pregnant with Robert.

As I mentioned earlier, if this baby is a girl, she will be named Alexa Chase. We have now also decided on a boy's name. If this baby is a boy, he will be named David Mark--David after my husband's best friend who has been his constant inspiration throughout life, and Mark for my husband. David means Beloved and Mark means Warlike, so I guess you could say it means Beloved Warrior. :)

Next Tuesday, April 3rd, I have to go back for my First Trimester screen. It's a nuchal translucency ultrasound and blood test that has a far lower rate of false positives than a triple screen or quad screen alone.

I don't go back for my next prenatal appointment until April 25th, and I have to go see my endocrinologist on the 16th to have my thyroid levels checked again.

[DragonsChest]

It all sounds wonderful! I'm very happy for you all. :hugz:

[Morr]

*hugs*

Its good to hear that all is well!

And hey, we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time at 11 weeks and 1 day, so it IS possible!

[WillowsMuse]

Oh, yes, it's true. Here is me at 17 and 24 weeks when I was pregnant with Robert. It's crazy! :lol:

I don't think I've seen a pic of you before, there's no face on your last one ;)...you are so pretty! :D

[Athena-Nadine]

I don't think I've seen a pic of you before, there's no face on your last one ;)...you are so pretty! :D
Aw, thanks! The other pictures I took myself, so it was a little hard to hold the camera steady and get a good picture. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

I went to the doctor this morning at 8:30 to have my nuchal translucency screen. Everything went great and we got some adorable pictures. What a difference 5 weeks makes! It never ceases to amaze me how fast they grow. Just 5 weeks ago, the little one looked like a jelly bean!

[Lunacie]

This technology is so cool. 33 years ago it was very rare to get pics like these (we probably couldn't have afforded to have this done anyway). I'm glad you got the chance to see how well the little one is growing. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

This technology is so cool. 33 years ago it was very rare to get pics like these (we probably couldn't have afforded to have this done anyway). I'm glad you got the chance to see how well the little one is growing. :)
Isn't it amazing? Granted, I tinted the baby in the picture to make it easier to see, but still. :) I had to go to the perinatologist with Robert at 25 weeks because there was a preterm labor scare. As part of checking everything, they did an ultrasound and used the 4D machine. I have some of the most amazing pictures from it! I would never go someplace like those commercial kiosks just to get an unnecessary 3- or 4D ultrasound, and I hope there's no reason for me to see the perinatologist with this one, but it sure was neat to see!

Since this will be my last pregnancy, and I kept forgetting to do it with Robert, I am taking a belly picture every 2 weeks throughout. Here's today's picture. 12 weeks today! :D

[Athena-Nadine]

I was lying down yesterday, getting ready to go to sleep, and felt a clear kick from the baby. :D That feeling is the one thing I missed after Robert was born. I couldn't believe how empty inside I felt after carrying him for 9 months. I have about another 12 weeks or so before movements become regular, but that's OK. It was nice to get a little reminder that my baby is dancing around in there. :)

[Sequoia]

I was lying down yesterday, getting ready to go to sleep, and felt a clear kick from the baby. :D That feeling is the one thing I missed after Robert was born. I couldn't believe how empty inside I felt after carrying him for 9 months. I have about another 12 weeks or so before movements become regular, but that's OK. It was nice to get a little reminder that my baby is dancing around in there. :)

Ooh, I am so excited for you!!! :hugz: :hugz: :hugz: :boing:

[Morr]

Awww! Yay for kicking!

I find it amazing and I cant wait for it to become more regular and strong, though I feel movements and kicks randomly throughout the day! Its great!

I am happy for you!

[Athena-Nadine]

So the little one is squirming away and every now and then over the past few days it's become really noticeable. :D But now I hurt.

I didn't have this happen with my last pregnancy so I have no idea what this is or could be. Well, part of it I had with my last pregnancy, but the rest started today.

With my last pregnancy, I had issues with moderate to severe pain on the left side of my groin area. I would hurt whenever I rolled over, sat up, lay down, walked, or moved anytime my leg muscles were used. It came and went in severity, thought never went away, and it was so bad at times that it was sometimes difficult to walk. No one really knew what it was, but it was guessed that I had a pinched nerve or that I had pulled something at some point that just wouldn't heal right. Sometimes walking for a while helped the pain go away, sometimes it didn't. All I know is that it started around 20 weeks or so, and lasted until the moment Robert was born. As soon as he was out of me, the pain left like it never existed.

OK, so fast forward to this pregnancy. I started having mild pains in the left side of my groin area maybe 2 weeks ago. They are exactly the same as the ones I had before, just not nearly as painful yet. I still don't know what it's from, but I assume that it will get worse as this baby gets bigger, if my last pregnancy is any indication. I wasn't looking forward to dealing with that for the next 6 months or so, but was at least prepared for it because I know what it feels like.

So today something changed. I still have that same pain in the left side of my groin area, but this afternoon I suddenly developed a pain in my right buttock at around the same height as my tail bone. It doesn't hurt if I'm just sitting, but as soon as I try to stand up or walk I get stabbing pains that sometimes shoot down into my leg.

So now I have pain in the front on the left side, and pain in the back on the right side. Fun, fun. I'm not worried about the pregnancy, but I would really like to not spend the next 6 months (wow, look at that--I am due in EXACTLY 6 months from today!) in excruciating pain.

[Amethyst Rose]

A word on the pain.... it's pelvic pain. It happens because the ligaments holding your pelvic bones together soften and move apart a little too much, which makes the pelvis hurt.

Severe pain can be diagnosed as SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) Here's some information on it: http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/pelvicpain/?_requestid=759559

[Ceres]

The pain in the butt sounds like your sciatic nerve is being pinched. If the pain is releived when you lay on the floor in front of a chair, with your calves on the seat of the chair and your butt at the foot of the chair, then it probably ios that. No fun!

[Athena-Nadine]

A word on the pain.... it's pelvic pain. It happens because the ligaments holding your pelvic bones together soften and move apart a little too much, which makes the pelvis hurt.

Severe pain can be diagnosed as SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) Here's some information on it: http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/pelvicpain/?_requestid=759559

Thank you so much for that link. I had never heard of that. I will discuss it with my doctor and put in a call to my chiropractor. Hopefully seeing hi through my pregnancy will help.

[Athena-Nadine]

The pain in the butt sounds like your sciatic nerve is being pinched. If the pain is releived when you lay on the floor in front of a chair, with your calves on the seat of the chair and your butt at the foot of the chair, then it probably ios that. No fun!
Ugh, all these nerves to pinch. So not fun.

[Amethyst Rose]

Thank you so much for that link. I had never heard of that. I will discuss it with my doctor and put in a call to my chiropractor. Hopefully seeing hi through my pregnancy will help.

No problem. :) The pain started with me at 20 weeks, this time around....probably about 30 weeks the last time. Anything involving lifting my legs hurts.... walking, putting my pants on, getting in/out of bed, rolling over....getting into the bathtub. It's a real PITA - literally...sometimes it feels like my tailbone is breaking. :)

You have my sympathy. :)

[Morr]

I dont know if I have the same thing as you, I've had lower back aches since the 2nd month, but its not the bones, its more the muscles and nerves, it seems. Laying down, or should I say -- Getting up from laying down -- Can be a nightmare. Sometimes if I stand a certain way with my legs and come to change positions, it HURTS so back in my lower back/butt muscles and the pain shots down into my leg (usually mostly my right side) and I can get "stuck" in that standing position because of the pain, so I have to VERY slowly move out of it.

I don't know if this is the same, but I can relate to the pain when moving/getting out of bed. It sucks.


Sometimes some massaging helps it (my husband is wonderful), and running hot water over my lower back in the shower is helpful too.

[Athena-Nadine]

I forgot to take the picture on Wednesday, so I'm a few days late. There really isn't much difference between today and 12 weeks, though I still look twice as pregnant as I did last time around! :D

[Morr]

Yeah! You are already popping out very early! I didn't REALLY pop out till week 18 (more or less).

I can't even imagine how its going to be like with another pregnancy in a few years for me... I already feel like a huge balloon!

[Athena-Nadine]

Some people show earlier with later pregnancies, some don't. It really just depends on how you're built and how you're carrying. With Robert, I carried all out in front so I was HUGE by the time I was 35 weeks, though I didn't show as much as I do now until I was 20 or 24 weeks. I always had a 24 inch waist, even with 40 inch hips, so he didn't have anywhere else to go but out. :lol: People kept coming up to me on the street and asking me if I was having twins! :rolleyes:

[Kalika]

Awww..... :hugz:

[Morr]

Some people show earlier with later pregnancies, some don't. It really just depends on how you're built and how you're carrying. With Robert, I carried all out in front so I was HUGE by the time I was 35 weeks, though I didn't show as much as I do now until I was 20 or 24 weeks. I always had a 24 inch waist, even with 40 inch hips, so he didn't have anywhere else to go but out. :lol: People kept coming up to me on the street and asking me if I was having twins! :rolleyes:



Sounds failiar!

I didn't REALLY pop tilll week 18-20... And its ALLLLL in my belly, in the front... You cant tell I am pregnant if you look at me from the back... Only in profile does it occur LOL

I feel HUGE now, can't imagine what I'll be like in 10 weeks,, not to mention 15 weeks....

[Athena-Nadine]

Sounds failiar!

I didn't REALLY pop tilll week 18-20... And its ALLLLL in my belly, in the front... You cant tell I am pregnant if you look at me from the back... Only in profile does it occur LOL

I feel HUGE now, can't imagine what I'll be like in 10 weeks,, not to mention 15 weeks....
You will look back at pictures of now and wonder at how "small" you were! :lol:

[Athena-Nadine]

People I know and people I don't know, out of concern and curiosity, constantly ask me about my pregnancy when they see me or talk to me on the phone. Some do it through email as well. Am I the only person who has absolutely no desire to talk about it? I mean, really. What is there to say? I am almost 15 weeks pregnant. I feel fine. No, I don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet. No, nothing has changed. That's it. I have nothing else to say. And people lool at me like I'm horribly rude because all I have are one or two word answers to all of their questions: "Yes," "No," "I feel good," etc.

Like my Step-MIL. She emails me once a week or so and asks me if there is any new news about the pregnancy. I know she's just trying to reach out and be all nice and concerned, and I do appreciate it, but I get a little annoyed because if there was anything new to tell she would have already heard about it from me or DH.

Sometimes I feel like I must be a nasty witch because I have no desire to gush about maternity clothes or cribs or nurseries or anything else to anyone. And it isn't just that this is my second child. I was exactly the same way with Robert as well. It's not that I'm not happy, and it's not that I'm not excited. I just don't see what the big deal is. I'm pregnant. So what?

[Athena-Nadine]

I just got back from the doctor. The bean played hide and seek for a little while but we found the heartbeat--160. Silly baby keeps showing up at the last second so I can't get another ultrasound.

I have to go back next week for a blood draw for my AFP test because I'm only 15 weeks today, and my big ultrasound is scheduled for 4 weeks from now on May 22nd, the day after we get back from vacation. Hopefully there won't ba any hide and seek then!

I am a pig. I two bacon egg and cheese biscuits from McDonalds for breakfast! I didn't get to eat until late because of my doctor's appointment.

[Athena-Nadine]

16 weeks today, yay! Things are going good. The little bean is dancing around and poking me pretty regularly now. I have to start physical therapy on Monday for my back/pelvic issues.

I can't believe how fast it's going by this time!

I also took a new picture today.

[DreamSpell333]

Glad things are going good for you.

It was pretty much the opposite for me with vincent. Alot of people didnt ask me how my pregnancy was going. Atleast a good amount of my family did. My mom and sister were the only ones who really checked up on me.
I know it was because of losing Olivia, so people were afraid something would go wrong .

:hugz: You look great in the pic! :)

[Athena-Nadine]

Tomorrow morning is my 20 week ultrasound. Everyone please keep your fingers crossed that the little one is healthy. :)

And maybe s/he will decide to tell us his/her gender!

[Morr]

Holy crap! You are 20 weeks pregnant already?! Time flies by SO fast!

Yay! I will cross my fingers for you and await to hear the news of the u/s results! I hope you get to find out the gender! *hugs*

[DragonsChest]

:hugz: for a healthy baby!! And mama too, of course! LOL

[Lunacie]

Tomorrow morning is my 20 week ultrasound. Everyone please keep your fingers crossed that the little one is healthy. :)

And maybe s/he will decide to tell us his/her gender!

I'm sure the little one is healthy, but I know you need the reassurance. So I'll be glad to cross my fingers, and my eyes too if it will help. :hehehehe: :hugz:

[KaidaMidnight]

Keeping you and baby in my thoughts.. Hopefully you'll be able to tell if your having a girl or boy. :D

[wrenjamin]

I just found this thread - congrats! I hope things go well on the 20 week, and maybe we'll know the gender!!!

Congrats, again!!!!

[Athena-Nadine]

Thank you so much for the good thoughts and energy. :) My ultrasound was rescheduled for tomorrow morning because the ultrasound tech hurt herself and her hand was in a splint.

[Morr]

Poo! I was waiting to hear what you were having!

[Lunacie]

Yeah. Poo!

:hugz:

[Athena-Nadine]

:lol: That was pretty much my reaction too. Hopefully tomorrow!

Here's my 20 week belly pic. :D

[Athena-Nadine]

The baby looks great, everything is where it's supposed to be. The baby is estimated to weigh around 10 or 11 ounces and is measuring perfect for my gestational age.

I attached pictures.

But, really, I know that's not what you really want to know, so I'll just get to it.
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IT'S A GIRL!!!!

I almost burst into tears when she told me, and almost cried again telling my mother and then again just writing this post. :boing: Right now, her name is Alexa Chase, but I am going to spend a little while going through names to make sure there isn't something else that jumps out at me.

[Morr]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


YAY FOR GIRLS!!!

*dances around*

Hopefully we can meet, after both Alexa and Scarlet are born, and we can have a little play date since Alexa won't be that far behind after Scarlet!

WELCOME TO THE GIRLS CLUB!!!

[Lunacie]

Okay, if you say so. I can't tell anything much from U/S pics.

But YAY for the Girl's Club !

[Amethyst Rose]

Oh sure, every one gets a girl but me. LOL, just kidding, I love my baby boy. :)

CONGRATS!!!!

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks! We're so excited, especially since this will be our last baby. I was actually a little nervous going to my doctor's office this morning for the ultrasound. I love my son more than I ever believed I could love anyone, and i know that I would love another one just as much, but I really wanted a little girl. I knew if we found out we were having another boy I would have to take some time and come to terms with the fact that I would never have a daughter, that I would be sad for a while, that I would have needed to be sad before I would have been able to be truly happy.

Now I just hope that the ultrasound wasn't wrong! :D

[Sequoia]

OMG YAYZOR!!! I'm so excited! :hahugh:

Congratulations!!! :heartthro :heartthro :heartthro

[Twinkle]

Yay! I was reading through this thread...and I thought to myself "She's having a girl"....then I continued to read....and I saw that you were! Twinkle is psychic! Ha!

I love your pregnancy pic...you look absolutely wonderful.

So....now for baby names!

I was looking at a fantastic website for Greek girl names...there's some beautiful names out there.....just saying. :)


Twinkle
Thinks Daphne is a beautiful name for a girl....just throwing it out there:lol:

[Athena-Nadine]

I love Daphne, but there is a tradition in my family that all first born girls' names start with "A" and end with "a." Silly, I know. :lol: But I love "A" names anyway. ;)

Her name will either be Alexa or Alyssa, both with Greek roots (of course), though I prefer Alexa.

[Twinkle]

I love both of those names...and I think family traditions are a wonderful thing!

What an exciting time this is for you and your family. Now you will have one of each!

I have a little boy....I took him to the nail salon with me...and I so wanted to give him a manicure...but, you know....I didn't.

There are so many more cute little girl clothes out there too. Slim pickings for boys. You are going to have so much fun dressing her...bows, dresses.....

I'm so happy for you.

[Athena-Nadine]

I know, I'm so excited. It's really funny, though. I was never the girlie girl type and now all I want to look at is girlie nursery stuff! :lol:

We've decided for sure on Alexa. :) Now all we have to do is pick a middle name. Mark likes Alexa Rae, but I don't care for it. The four I like best right now are Alexa Rhea, Alexa Jade, Alexa Rose, and Alexa Paige. I'll give him Rae as the middle name if he really wants it because I chose the first name, but I hope he lets it go! ;)

ETA: In thinking about it further, I may actually be able to get away with Rhea, since Mark likes Rae. He can pronounce it Ray-ah if he wants to. ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

Mark woke up (FINALLY!) and we got to talking about names again. I showed him the Google results for Alexa Rae (ugh!) and Alexa Ray (Billy Joel's daughter) and that was nixed immediately.

We went through a couple of middle name choices, neither of us could agree on anything, so started looking at first names again. There is a tradition in my family that all first born girls' names start with A and end with a. I know it's a silly little tradition, but there it is. http://boards.babycenter.com/dir-icon/92/2/happy.icon So I pulled up the list of every single name that fit the tradition and we started over. LOL

It was a little difficult for me at first because I have had Alexa chosen as my daughter's first name since I was 10 or so. Back then, though, it wasn't all that common at all. I have to admit that it had begun to bother me how common Alexa has been becoming over the past few years.

Anyway, we have finally found a name that we both love and agree on. The funny thing is that her first name is another version of Alexander (as Alexa is), though it has no "X" and isn't in the top 1000 in the Social Security Database. Alexa is at 38 right now. It is Italian instead of Greek, but that's close enough for me. ;) We are giving her Mark's mother's first name as her middle name.

Our daughter's name is Alessa Ann! It is pronounced like Alexa but with an "s" sound instead of the "x" sound. It means, "Gracious and Merciful Defender/Protector of Man."

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

Alessa Ann is a beautiful name. Congratulations on your little girl. :)

[Morr]

Beautiful name.

I like it better than Alexa.

[KaidaMidnight]

Congrats!!!!!! I'm so excited for you! :D And I LOVE that name! I actually do like it more than Alexa, and it doesn't seem to be as common. :) Good choice mommy. So, how does big brother feel about getting a little sister? Does he understand what's going on yet?

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks. :) We decided that it has a softer feel to it than Alexa and it isn't popular at all. It hasn't been in the top 1000 of the US Social Security Database for the last 15 years (I only had it check that far back).

Robert has very little idea what's going on and I don't think he cares. We came to the ultrasound on Friday and looked at the screen occasionally, but he was far more interested in trying to ge off of Mark's lap and explore the exam room. :lol:

[Lunacie]

:huh: What are the odds on both parents agreeing on both the first name and the middle name. That's amazing. :woot:

I liked Alexa but it didn't seem like it was quite enough. My granddaughter's second middle name is Alexandra. ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

The odds are quite slim, especially in this house. Mark normally just shoots down any name I come up with. But he picked this one out! :lol:

[Lunacie]

I think that's why a lot of parents end up saying that Mommy can name the girl babies and Daddy can name the boy babies. I know my dad felt a little short-changed when Mom got to name 3 girls and he only got to name 2 boys. :lol:

I stopped at one baby, a girl. Figured I'd make both sides happy by naming her for both grandmothers. Don't know what my hubby would have suggested if we'd had another and it was a boy.

[Athena-Nadine]

I'm having the hardest time waking up. Since Thursday or so, I've been waking up at night every 1 1/2 - 2 hours. I don't remember this starting this early with Robert. I was in my third trimester when this happened last time! And it didn't stop until he was sleeping through the night. I used to joke that the constant waking up while pregnant was my body's way of getting me used to having to do it after he was born. But I'm so sleepy.

[Morr]

I've been waking up every 1 1/2 hours to two hours since around 20 weeks as well. Some nights are better than others (I am super surprised when I make 3 or 4 hours without getting up, the down side to that is that the moment I wake up I feel like I will pee right there and then, so I have to get up real fast and head on to the bathroom. But those nights are rare these days).

Hey, when you wake up at night to run to the bathroom and you're cranky about just having had to pee and wake up less than 2 hours ago, know that I am probably doing the EXACT same thing LOL

*hugs* You're NOT alone!

[Athena-Nadine]

:lol: It's funny, but I don't get cranky about it until the next morning when Robert wakes up because the sun is up and it's only 5:30 AM and I have no choice but to get out of bed. Of course, when he takes a nap and I actually can go back to sleep, I can't sleep if I try to.

[Lunacie]

Yep, time to start taking an afternoon nap already. :zzzzZZZ:

I was reading an article in Reader's Digest about people who fall asleep while driving - and how that's almost as common and deadly as people who drive after drinking. Anway, the article listed some research that shows that our natural circadian rhythm is lowest at night - and again in mid-afternoon. It has nothing to do with eating a heavy meal, it's part of our physiogony or something. In many countries they close the shops for lunch and don't open again until mid-afternoon, afther they've had a chance to rest or nap. We're just such a crazy go-go-go-go society that people who do that are made to feel guilty. GAH. Enjoy your naps, people. :hahugh:

[Athena-Nadine]

I LOVE naps! I always have. But I love sleep in general. :lol: I was always the person who wuld naturally sleep 10-11 hours if nothing forced me to wake up. I normally can't function properly without 9 hours, at the least. It's frustrating. I try and try to nap now and can't fall asleep, or Robert decides that's the time he isn't going to sleep. :lol: Ah, the joy of early motherhood!

[Athena-Nadine]

I chose the nursery set for Alessa. I still can't believe how girlie it is! I was always bound and determined to not do this, but I couldn't help myself! :D

http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/lai/lai24006v-big.jpg

[Morr]

I love it!

I decided to go with a more eclectic feel to Scarlet's nursery. Not to mention the fact that I am getting a lot of hand-me-downs because we cant afford to buy everything new from Babies R Us, and I don't want to ask my friends for a baby shower or anything. I registered at Babies R Us, but I am not expecting much because our friends are not at the best financial state as well. So whatever we get our hands on, will be worked into the nursery.

But I love your choice. Very girlie and sweet ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

Eclectic is good. It actually gives you more choice later on, as you accumulate more stuff. Then you don't need to worry about whether it all matches! ;)

I ordered everything in the set except the rocker a few minutes ago. I actually chose that one because it's girlie but not frilly, and not nearly as babyish as many of them are now. I figured it would last a few extra years because of it.

Once it all gets here I have to go pick paint for the walls and the furniture, and we whould be pretty much done with everything we need for Alessa. We already have everything else from Robert, thank the gods. And it's all gender neutral because we knew we would be having another baby fairly quickly.

[Morr]

Yeah, besides, Babies R Us didnt have any Disney Princesses or My Little Poney nursery sets (only random stuff for Disney Princesses, that I put on my registry OF COURSE!) -- So I figured, I'll just go eclectic and add as much Disney Princesses and My Little Poney as I can...

LOL

[LadyCelt]

cute nursery!

[KaidaMidnight]

Love it! It is so pretty :D

[Lunacie]

I like it too. I don't think it's too girlie, just a few flowers and butterflies and a little pink. Everything else is very neutral, so it's not too much. Love the rocker. We had one for my daughter, but not for the grandkids.

[DragonsChest]

The chocolate and the pink go perfectly together!

[Athena-Nadine]

The picture isn't actually the room I made. It's the room advertising the nursery set. :) I have to go pick out pain samples and everything this week. I'm waiting for the stuff to get here first so I can get the colors right. It should be here Thursday! YAY! We have to start looking at furniture this weekend. Alessa's room is shaped a bit differently and won't look exactly like that. I only hope that I can get it to look half as nice! :lol:

[Lunacie]

Make sure the room is well-ventilated while you're painting, especially if you're not using the low-VOX paint. Paint fumes can be toxic to anyone, but especially to pregnant women.

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks. I only use low fume latex paint, which is perfectly safe for me--I checked. Oil based paints are the dangerous ones. But I will keep all the windows wide open anyway. It does no good to upset my stomach or something.

[Lunacie]

Cool, you already know about the low fume emission paints. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

Yep. I use them anyway because I can't stand the fumes from the others. I get migraines unless I use the low fume latex paints. Thankfully, they can be found in every color now, especially for kids' rooms.

[Lunacie]

Yep, the fumes from regular paint gives me a migraine - and more - as well. Besides, it just plain stinks.

[KaidaMidnight]

I'm sure it'll look 10 times better than the pic ;) good luck with the painting and don't get up on any ladders!

[Athena-Nadine]

No ladders for me. That's Mark's job!

It's 5:08 AM here. Robert woke up crying at about 4:20, so I went in there, calmed him down, and put him back to bed. He stopped crying and acted like he was going back to sleep but started crying again at about 10 to 5. I'm sitting here, watching him on the video monitor, hoping he goes back to sleep soon. He keeps acting like he's going to, then starts fussing/crying again. I can't find anything wrong with him. I'm exhausted and I have a prenatal appointment at 8:30. Ugh. Now my head is startingto hurt.

[KaidaMidnight]

awww hun.. just rest a lil. Think maybe he had a bad dream?

[Athena-Nadine]

That's what I'm thinking. Either that, or his mouth is hurting him a bit. He's cutting the bottom 1 year molars. But he doesn't normally cry and yell like that over tooth pain. He finally went back to sleep around 5:30 and I lied in bed trying to sleep for the next hour and a half. I dozed off, but couldn't truly fall asleep again. I think I kept expecting him to cry again.

[Athena-Nadine]

I just got back from my prenatal appointment and greedily wolfed down 2 bacon, egg and cheese biscuits from McDonald's! I'm a pig some days. I can't remember the last time I had McDonald's.

Everything's fine; Alessa is great. My OB confirmed that everything was perfect on the ultrasound, and I have a date for my c-section! Alessa will be born on Wednesday, October 11th at 11:30. :D

[KaidaMidnight]

That's great news! Are you sure you don't wanna have her on October 5th instead? (hehehe.. that's my birthday ;) )

[Athena-Nadine]

I had a horrible dream last night. Ugh. In the bizarre way of dreams, it was perfectly normal to be able to pull the baby out in her amniotic sack and look at her then put her back (yes, I know how freaky that alone is!). In the dream, I was 23 weeks along (I'm 21 now) and Mark and I were looking at her and noticed a huge tear in the sack! So I had to call the doctor and go to the hospital and have her prematurely. It was horrible. The dream didn't even go far enough for me to know if she survived! :(

I know it came from a silly fear I've been having every time I go to the bathroom, but it freaked me out so bad! Every single time I go to pee the thought pops into my head, "What if my water breaks right now?"

[KaidaMidnight]

that is a freaky dream! When you say you worry about your water breaking while your going pee, is it because you think you won't notice it? If that's the case, you'll notice it.. Cause you'll just keep leaking even after your done going potty.

I was taking a shower and had gotten out, and was drying off, when I noticed that my legs were still wet. So, I took the towel and dried em off again. Walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom and my legs were wet again. LOL.. it actually took me two more times of drying my legs off to realize that my water had broke. LOL (my water hadn't broken naturally with my first, so I really didn't know what to expect when it happened with my second.) All I know is that it would wait til I was standing up. If I was sitting, I wouldn't leak, then I'd stand up and it would look like I peed on the floor. *lol* The nurses thought this was funny at the hospital, cause everytime they had me move and my water leaked, I'd go "I really didn't pee... honest! " And don't worry about running outta fluid. I was sooo worried I asked the nurse if all the water from the womb was almost gone. Your body does make more, so don't worry about losing too much. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

No, I know I'd feel it. My water broke before so I know what it feels like. :) It's just one of those silly, irrational fears that have no basis in anything but my own paranoia. :)

[WillowsMuse]

:hugz:

[Sequoia]

Dreams like that are pretty common during pregnancy, so I hear. :hugz: I'm sure it means nothing at all, other than that you're having a nice normal pregnancy :heartthro

[Athena-Nadine]

My OB is almost certain that I have SPD and that it is what plagues me with Robert as well. I got hardly any sleep last night because of the shooting pains in my pelvis and groin every time I moved. I can no longer get dressed without sitting on my bed, and even then it's not easy because it hurts to lift one leg higher than the other. Walking up and down the stairs is becoming just as difficult, and is only compounded by the fact that I have a 21 pound toddler to carry up and down to his room. The only time I'm not in pain is if I'm not moving at all.

I have to call my chiropractor.

[Amethyst Rose]

Ouch, my sympathies. It took 2 weeks after having the baby before my pelvis stopped hurting. Wearing a support belt helps a bit if you need to do lot of walking.

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks. I was lucky last time. The pain went away within a day of delivering Robert.

I'm thinking about getting one, I just don't know how effective it will be right now since I'm only 21 weeks and not really that big yet. Robert was over 9 pounds and was 21" long at birth. The women in my family tend to carry big babies (which sucks insofar as putting us at greater risk of GD and pre-diabetes later in life). You can imagine how bad it got by the end of my pregnancy with him. The heavier he got, the worse it hurt. I hope Alessa isn't that big, but I expect her to be at least 8 pounds.

[Lunacie]

I know nothing about PSD so I looked it up. This was a good article.
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/pregnancyandbaby/pregnancy/complicatepreg/articles/0,,15_187741,00.html

Sorry you're dealing with this A-N. :hugz:

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks, Lunacie. :) :hugz:

I forgot to post this yesterday. Here's my belly at 22 weeks!

[Lunacie]

My daughter felt like she was getting absolutely huge, but I swear she didn't look any bigger at full term than you look now. Of course, both times the baby only weighed a little over 5 pounds and with the preeclampsia she was a little low on amniotic fluid.

Not saying you're getting absolutely huge of course. :nonono: After all, Robert was quite a bit bigger at birth than Katlin and Nove were.

[KaidaMidnight]

Very Very Nice pic! :) I didn't know what SPD was either. :( Sorry you have to go through it hun.

[Athena-Nadine]

My daughter felt like she was getting absolutely huge, but I swear she didn't look any bigger at full term than you look now. Of course, both times the baby only weighed a little over 5 pounds and with the preeclampsia she was a little low on amniotic fluid.

Not saying you're getting absolutely huge of course. :nonono: After all, Robert was quite a bit bigger at birth than Katlin and Nove were.

I knew what you meant. :lol: I was HUGE at the end of my pregnancy with Robert. He was over 9 pounds, and I have a tiny waist, even wearing a size 14 in jeans like I was right before this pregnancy. They have nowhere to go but out! I was just thinking yesterday that a lot of my maternity tops won't fit later on because they're starting to get tight in the belly already. :D

[Athena-Nadine]

Very Very Nice pic! :) I didn't know what SPD was either. :( Sorry you have to go through it hun.

Thanks. :)

A lot of people don't know what it is. It seems that it's something that wasn't really know about until fairly recently. A lot of doctors don't know about it either yet.

[Morr]

LOL ya know, everyone gets huge early with the 2nd and other pregnancies.

You look great! I am so happy for you, ya know!

And even happier that we both get to have baby girls around the same time (roughly!). I can't wait to have a little playdate with them when you guys come up here to visit :D

[Athena-Nadine]

That would be fun! Actually, I looked much like this around the same time with Robert. I started showing sooner with this one, but it's all caught up now. :) I just seem to carry way out in front.

[Athena-Nadine]

I am 24 weeks pregnant today! :boing: That means Alessa is officially viable!

[Lunacie]

And we fervently hope that won't be put to the test. ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

Gods, I hope not. But I have to admit that there is definitely something comforting in the fact that she has a better chance of surviving outside than not now. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

I procrastinated for the past couple of days. I was supposed to take these on Wednesday. :D

24 weeks 2 days!

And here's a progression from 8 weeks, when I started taking pictures. I forgot to take one at 18 weeks because I was on vacation. :)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/Nallia/Baby%2002/BellyProgression01.jpg?t=1183156782 (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:void%280%29;) (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:void%280%29;)

[KaidaMidnight]

Very Nice! Alessa is looking very good :D I like how you put all the weeks together, that looks great.

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks! :D Last night I told my hubby that I didn't feel very big at all and then I got a good look at my profile when I took the pictures today! :lol:

[Athena-Nadine]

I am officially grumpy. I have no reason for it. I just realized that all I want right now is to be completely alone, to be able to spend an entire day in my house in blessed silence, not having to talk to or chase after or take care of anyone or anything. I just want to be able to shut off the television and sit with a book or my knitting or whatever I want for hours with no interruptions.

Some days the mantle of Mommy is really heavy.

[Lunacie]

I was very lucky to get a day like that now and then. My ex would take our daughter and go visit his grandmother for the day or the evening. I could get things finished that had been started and left undone when family intruded. I could listen to what I wanted on the tv or leave it off. I could fix myself a sandwich or something when I was hungry, not when everyone else wanted to be fed. I was damn lucky to have that and I knew it.

[Athena-Nadine]

So, the good news is that Alessa is just fine. :) Her heart rate is perfect, she's moving and kicking up a storm, and measuring perfectly.

I am 25 weeks as of yesterday. After a hectic night and day because Robert slammed his head on a kitchen cabinet yesterday evening hard enough to leave an almost 2" goose egg on his head (it was bad enough that we had to wake him up a few times last night to make sure he didn't have a concussion), I forgot to eat anything since breakfast this morning. And this morning all I had was a couple of pieces of toast and some coffee. That was at about 9. So, you can imagine my surprise when I got to my doctor's office at 1:00, knowing that I should have eaten lunch (but having forgot until then) and starting to feel shaky because my blood sugar was low from lack of food, to find that I was spilling glucose into my urine.

I was originally supposed to take my glucose tolerance test in 3 weeks, which would be at 28 weeks, but now I have to do it tomorrow. I am already higher risk because my blood glucose levels went to borderline status at around 36 weeks with Robert, he was over 9 pounds, I have hypothyroidism, and started this pregnancy 35 pounds overweight (not because of my hypothyroidism, but because I was really bad at taking care of myself after Robert was born).

If I pass this one tomorrow, I will have to go and do it again in about a month or so just to make sure. *...sighs...* There is a good chance that I won't get away without GD this pregnancy. If I fail both this test and the 3 hour one, I think I will speak with my endocrinologist as well about controlling it.

I guess we'll see what happens.

[Lunacie]

Okay, glad to hear Alyssa is doing so well. But sorry to hear you're not doing so well. Does stress play a part in your blood sugar rising or falling the way it does with blood pressure? Or was it mostly that you forgot to eat lunch?

I know how scary it is to see a child get such a knock in the head. That happened with Nove'Mber when she was only a little older than Robert is. I wanted to snatch her up and drive straight to the ER. But a friend took a look a her head and her eyes and said it would be okay to just keep an eye on her. And just last month I was away from the house and my daughter called to say that Katlin had been hit in the head with a baseball and had a 2" goose egg bump on her forehead. I reminded her about what we did to check out Nove and she just put ice on it and kept an eye on Katlin. Kids are pretty tough, and go through a lot of bumps and bruises. Probably scares us worse than it does them.

[Athena-Nadine]

On a fun note, here are three outfits I am choosing from to bring Alessa home in. I may just bring all three to the hospital and see how I feel about them in October. :)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/Nallia/Baby%2002/homecomingoutfits.jpg

[Lunacie]

Awww, those are so cute! It was impossible to find cute stuff that didn't cost a fortune to put on my granddaughters when they were brand new because they were so small.

[Athena-Nadine]

I think things have gotten easier to find in recent years, though I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. It seems the rates of premature babies is getting higher. I got all three of those outfits on clearance. The most expensive one cost about $7. :D

[Athena-Nadine]

The room isn't done yet. I am still waiting for a replacement ottoman because the first one was broken, and the dresser is on backorder until August 2nd. I also have to hang everything on the walls. There is a bunch of stuff in the crib right now that doesn't belong there, and the floor lamp will be taken out of the room. But here is the nursery so far:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/Nallia/Baby%2002/DSC00039.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/Nallia/Baby%2002/DSC00040.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/Nallia/Baby%2002/DSC00041.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/Nallia/Baby%2002/DSC00043.jpg

[KaidaMidnight]

Beautiful! Love the nursery :D

[Aidron]

You're knocked up again? And this time with one of those cootie carrying things known as girls! :foh:

Congragulations, and the pics are amusing. :D

[Athena-Nadine]

You're knocked up again? And this time with one of those cootie carrying things known as girls! :foh:

Congragulations, and the pics are amusing. :D

:lol: Way to pay attention! :razz: ;)

[Aidron]

:lol: Way to pay attention! :razz: ;)

I can't keep track of everything that's growing inside of people. Cut me some slack. ;)

By the way, I have devised an interesting pregnancy fact through infallible logic. When your belly button protrudes out, that means the baby is read. Kinda like a turkey. If your belly button never sticks out then it is broken and you should contact the manufacturer.

This highly important and completely accurate bit of trivia is brought to you by Aidron. Please enjoy.

[Athena-Nadine]

Mine is broken! It never popped!

[Aidron]

Mine is broken! It never popped!

Then I direct to your manufacturer: Your parents.

[Athena-Nadine]

Argh, that's pointless! They're broken themselves!

[Aidron]

Argh, that's pointless! They're broken themselves!

They passed it on to you. Oh noooooes! :awilly:

[Athena-Nadine]

It's official: I have Gestational Diabetes. Oh, well. Alessa will be here in probably around 90 days now. I don't like it, and it raises my and her risk factors, but it is what it is and the diet really isn't such a big deal. It's better for me anyway. :) My only worry is that she has breathing problems or something else that ends up putting her in the NICU, preventing me from being able to nurse her right away. Since Robert was born perfectly healthy, I was able to nurse him half an hour after his birth even though I had a c-section. I hope I don't have t wait hours before being able to nurse Alessa. They can't give me the low blood sugar excuse, either, because the cure for that is to nurse her! I refuse to sign the consent form to give her formula unless it's truly a life and death situation. Expedient is not a good reason to me.

I can't believe 26 weeks has gone by already! I have no idea where the time is going. 90 days is nothing! Time for new belly pics! :D

[Morr]

Aww, I wish you luck with the GD. It is good that you are not worried about the Diet and all. I was worried I would have to completely change my eating habits and adjust to a totally different diet. Which, technically, would be healthier... But... I love food... So it would have been a tad rough on me, though of course I would do it for the health of Scarlet and I.

You look great, by the way! Seems like you are carrying her low! I have been carrying Scarlet super low, and now that she dropped even further, I feel as if she's IN my crotch about to burst through with her head LOL My poor bladder...

Yay, 90 days is nothing, I agree! Can you believe how fast time passes? Seems like yesterday I got pregnant.. Then you... And now I am so close to giving birth and you are right behind!

WooHoo! And then you guys MUST come out to this part of the country so we can hang out and have a playdate for the kids! :D

PS -- I can't thank you enough for the books you sent me. I feel kinda bad though, since I thought you might need them again now that you are pregnant... But I love them! Especially the Baby Center Essential guide to Pregnancy and Birth. Thanks again so much :D

[Athena-Nadine]

I love that book! Nope, I don't need them. :) Don't worry, I thought of that before I sent them to you because I knew we would start trying soon after. I'm glad they've been so helpful. The What to Expect book always scared the crap out of Mark.

[KaidaMidnight]

I'm sorry to hear about the GD, but hopefully everything will go well, and you'll be able to nurse as soon as possible. :) Love the pics! It does look as if you are carrying really low.

What to Expect.. that book drove me crazy!! Still does, even though it seems to have all the negative things about pregnancy, and gets me worried, I STILL read it every time I'm pregnant.. LMAO

Gosh, 90 days! so close! makes me wish I was farther along!!!! LOL (then again, not really, I don't know if I'd do well that pregnant in the middle of summer... hehehe)

Keep us updated hun!!!!

[Athena-Nadine]

Just a GD rant:

Yesterday for breakfast: 2 eggs over hard, 1 waffle with butter and syrup, 2 slices of bacon, 1 cup of coffee, 12 units of insulin

Blood glucose reading 1 hour after eating: 113

This morning for breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled, 1 Thomas' light whole grain English muffin, 1 cup of coffee, 12 units of insulin

Blood glucose reading 1 hour after eating: 171

WTH??? I ate better this morning than yesterday morning! The English muffin had a lower carb/sugar count than the waffle with butter and syrup. Unreal. My glucose levels haven't been that high since I found out about the GD, even before I started insulin. I am allowed the coffee and the creamer in it because I use a non-dairy creamer anyway. The non-dairy creamer is a free food.

On Friday night, we went out to Outback for dinner, and I ate way too much. I had a steak, some grilled veggies, even ate the bread and 1/3 slice of cheesecake with caramel and rasberry sauce for dessert! Yes, I know, I was bad, but it was only one time. My glucose level an hour after all that was 163. THAT, I understood. But this morning??? This is crazy. I have no idea what's going on.

Except for going out to dinner on Friday and eating too much, my numbers have been completely normal since I started insulin on Thursday night. Until this morning. Ugh. I don't know. It just makes no sense to me.

[KaidaMidnight]

Everything back to normal today?

[WillowsMuse]

how frustrating! yes, how did it look this morn? and what is your reading supposed to be?

{{hugs}}

[imapepper]

Athena, sorry to hear about the GD, but I know you and the bean will be fine, you're doing what you're supposed to and being responsible. That makes a big difference.

As for the readings go, I don't know much, but lemme tell you, the human body is a wonder! I freaked out from having low blood pressure last time I saw my doc, I went today and it went up considerably. I'm not having twins and I don't eat tons of salt, so it's weird. Our bodies do weird things sometimes! Don't worry, I bet your body is just adjusting to the diet, insulin, all that.

It'll be over soon! I too fear not being able to BF right away, so I hope it all works out. Let us know how you're feeling!

:cheers: (toasting with root beer, heh)

[Athena-Nadine]

Thanks. :)

My c-section has been scheduled at the hospital for October 3rd. In just over 2 more months she will be here with us! :D

[Morr]

Yay!!

I'm hoping that by that time we will have a bit more extra $ so that I can send Alessa a little gift :) I am not as talented as you with knitting or crafting LOL so maybe I'll get your baby registry details when you have one... ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

Aw, that's so sweet, thank you! We're not registering this time. Honestly, there is nothing that we need. We had everything from Robert and all of it was gender neutral because we knew we were going to have another baby. :)

[imapepper]

How exciting! I'm glad you have your date scheduled. I hope we get pictures!

:hahugh:

[KaidaMidnight]

Thanks. :)

My c-section has been scheduled at the hospital for October 3rd. In just over 2 more months she will be here with us! :D

awww, you should have waited 2 more days! October 5th is a MUCH better day to be born ;) (I'm not biased or anything, just cause it's my birthday ... )

Does it seem to be coming quicker now that you have a date set?

[Athena-Nadine]

awww, you should have waited 2 more days! October 5th is a MUCH better day to be born ;) (I'm not biased or anything, just cause it's my birthday ... )

Does it seem to be coming quicker now that you have a date set?

:lol: Did you know that more babies are born on October 5th than any other day of the year?

The whole thing has flown by this time. I can't believe I'm almost 29 weeks and in my third trimester already! I guess having a toddler at home keeps me from thinking about it as much as I did the first time so it seems quicker. Having the date is actually a bit of a load off my mind because we have no family at all here and no one to watch Robert. Everyone has to fly in, so having a set date makes setting up childcare easier and makes it easier form my mother and MIL to know when to buy their plane tickets for. But I swear it's slowed everything down too because now I'm counting the days! :lol:

[Athena-Nadine]

How exciting! I'm glad you have your date scheduled. I hope we get pictures!

:hahugh:

Oh, yes, LOTS of pictures! I'll probably drive you all crazy with pictures. ;)

[KaidaMidnight]

:lol: Did you know that more babies are born on October 5th than any other day of the year?



Cause of New Years Eve Parties.. ;) LOL

[Lunacie]

:lol: Did you know that more babies are born on October 5th than any other day of the year?

The whole thing has flown by this time. I can't believe I'm almost 29 weeks and in my third trimester already! I guess having a toddler at home keeps me from thinking about it as much as I did the first time so it seems quicker. Having the date is actually a bit of a load off my mind because we have no family at all here and no one to watch Robert. Everyone has to fly in, so having a set date makes setting up childcare easier and makes it easier form my mother and MIL to know when to buy their plane tickets for. But I swear it's slowed everything down too because now I'm counting the days! :lol:

I hope they'll be able to change their tickets if the little darlin' decides to come out early. ;)

[Athena-Nadine]

Goodness, I hope they don't have to do that! Right now I'm scheduled to be delivered at 38 weeks. If I go earlier I would worry even more than I already am about what could go wrong.

[Lunacie]

Oh, somehow I missed the memo that said you were being induced at 38 weeks. Best wishes to make it all the way to that date without anything unexpected. :hugz:

[Athena-Nadine]

No, it's not your fault. You didn't miss anything. :) All I said was that I'm scheduled for my c-section on October 3rd. I never specified how far along I'd be. Duh. I meant to, too. :hugz:

[Athena-Nadine]

28 week belly pics. I've been taking them every two weeks this pregnancy since it's my last. I'll take new ones next week at 30 weeks. :D

[Morr]

Yay belly!!

[Athena-Nadine]

I went in today to see my OB a day early because I've been having mild lower back and abdominal cramps since an hour or so after I woke up. I'm not really having any contractions and my cervix is still closed tight. I also have no infections so she doesn't know what's causing my cramping. She did a FFN just to rule it out but I'm not worried about that. I start going in once a week for NSTs next Thursday at 31 weeks and then will be going twice a week once I reach 34 weeks until Alessa is born.

Also, my endocrinologist raised my Humalog at breakfast again. It's the 3rd time in less than a week. Odd that she only raised it one unit, though. Oh, well. Hopefully it'll help. We'll see how it goes over the next few days.

[KaidaMidnight]

oooo only 10 weeks to go! Hopefully the camps have stopped. Think that it could be ligaments stretching? I know with my second pregnancy I had that REALLY bad. It was really painful and uncomfortable. They sell these bands at motherhood stores that are suppose to help support the belly so that it takes the pressure off and it really helped with that.

Keep us updated!

[Athena-Nadine]

Yeah, it might be that. They've finally stopped, thankfully, after 2 1/2 days. I can't believe how soon this is going to be over. My repeat c-section is scheduled for October 3rd, which is only 8 weeks away now. Only 56 days! Part of me is so glad this is almost over and another part is a little sad about it because I know from experience that I'll miss being pregnant a little when I'm not anymore. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

The faint marks that look like freckles or birth marks on the last picture are actually marks from my insulin injections.

[KaidaMidnight]

Ouch.. gotta take em in the belly??

Your baby belly is adorable!!!! Only little over 8 weeks left! Bet you are so excited! :D I just wanna touch the belly looking at those pics! (I bet ya hate that huh? People coming up to you to wanna feel your belly.. hehehe)

[Athena-Nadine]

The belly or the thigh, but the shots in the belly work fastest. They don't really hurt. Most of the time I can't even feel them at all. The needles are TINY. I was shocked to see the marks on my belly from them. I can't see them just looking down. :lol:

My repeat c-section has been scheduled with the hospital for October 3rd, I actually have a little less than 8 weeks. Only 53 more days! :D

[KaidaMidnight]

At least with yours we all won't be sitting on pins and needles waiting! LOL.. We'll all know when to celebrate :D

[imapepper]

I want to ask (by the way you look great :hahugh: ) if your shirt in the last pics you took has little hearts printed on it? If so, where do you find cute maternity clothes like that? I dunno if selection here is just limited or what, but I seem to find nothing but solids or stripes and nothing on the cute, fun, end of the spectrum like your shirt!

[Athena-Nadine]

Aw, thanks! :D I got that shirt at oldnavy.com. I don't know if they ship out to you but they have really cute stuff at really reasonable prices. :)

[imapepper]

Aw, thanks! :D I got that shirt at oldnavy.com. I don't know if they ship out to you but they have really cute stuff at really reasonable prices. :)

Oh that's great! Yes, we get some Old Navy items out here sometimes. They don't have their individual stores here, but the anchor stores which exist here that are the equivalent to places like Macy's, will carry GAP and Old Navy items, so I'll have to take a peek and see.

Thanks! :wave: