31 Week Update

This is a little late, but I wanted to be sure that I got some information down on paper (or online!) before I forget. The days are continuing to fly by at warp speed and these days we stay busy, busy, busy! I can't believe that June is almost over. The summer always seems to go by too fast!!

Last Wednesday, when I was exactly 31 weeks, I had a pre-natal appointment with the OB. I saw Dr. Heider again and the appointment was quite uneventful. We weren't in the office very long, which is always nice when Jacob is with me. He did well, sitting quietly watching a video or looking at books on the iPad. That thing sure is a life saver when we are in appointments or on a long grocery shopping trip!

The nurse took my blood pressure (125/80) and weighed me (I was up six lbs for a total of 17 lbs). I was worried about the weight gain - but the doctor didn't mention anything about it, so I guess he is not worried. At this point, I am supposed to be gaining about a pound a week, which would have equated to four pounds at this appt. So, maybe six isn't that bad. :) I have honestly not been watching my diet and I have been craving sweets and salty foods at different times - ice cream, cookies, chocolate milk, chips, popcorn and french fries with cheese sauce are my favorites right now  - so I was not surprised to have gained that much. I have told myself that I am going to try to be better with my diet, but we will see. I have noticed lately that I cannot eat as much as I could previously, which I guess is a good thing at this point!

After I gave my urine sample, the doc came in and we chatted for a bit. He asked me if I was still planning on trying a VBAC and I said yes. I have noticed that every doctor has asked me at every appointment - I guess they are just "checking" to make sure that I haven't changed my mind. :)  He then checked for the baby's heartbeat, which was a strong 154 bpm.

He asked me how I was feeling and I told him that the usual pregnancy symptoms are getting worse, but I am working through them:

• I am wearing a brace on my right wrist at night to help with the carpal tunnel issue (although my hand/wrist still falls asleep at times during the day - usually when I am typing or holding onto something like a phone or pen).
  
• Heartburn/reflux is getting worse even though I am taking 75 mg of Zantac twice a day. The doc gave me the go-ahead to up my intake to 150 mg twice a day. I started that a few days ago so I am hoping that will help. The reflux has woken me up in the middle of the night twice for the past few nights. I usually drink some water and pop a few of the Papaya Extract pills that I have been taking and it seems to help enough for me to get back to sleep.
  
• Speaking of sleep, that is not happening very easily these days. With the heartburn and having to go pee about every two hours, my sleep is not very restful. It is also just hard to get comfortable - I have tried putting a pillow between my knees for support, but that usually only helps for a short time. I used the pregnancy pillow a bit, but that just seems to take up too much room and doesn't offer that much relief. And, when I try to roll over to get into a more comfy position, it seems like it takes a lot of effort to do so. My belly isn't that big, but getting it from one side to another takes a lot of effort, especially when I am half asleep. I am not sure that my snoring has gotten too bad yet, although Keith did have to wake me up last night because he said it was keeping him awake. Sorry, honey!
  
• Another thing that I have had an issue with lately is breathing. Yes, the basic idea of taking a deep breath is not easy these days. I know it is because I am carrying this baby super high and my lungs are being pushed aside, but I don't remember having this issue as much with Jacob (even though I think I carried him the same way). I guess maybe it is because I am moving a lot more - playing with and cleaning up after a three year old is more demanding than the desk job I had during my first pregnancy! I find that when I am bending over, I have to hold my breath because I can't breathe. Also, sometimes when I am reading a book to Jacob, I find myself getting out of breath. It seems really crazy that doing something so simple can cause this, but I guess it is all just a part of the growing baby that is taking over my body!

• The biggest issue I am dealing with right now is an issue with my left knee. The pain started on June 8th, which was a day that I had been on my feet a lot (we were at the pool in the morning and then I was up til about 1am making Jacob's tractor birthday cake). I just thought that I might have over done it a bit by standing so much, but the pain got worse over the next few days, especially when I tried to straighten or bend my knee past about 90 degrees. A few nights later, while I was trying to get off of the couch, my knee locked up on me and Keith had to come and physically straighten it for me. I saw my PCP about it and she said that I may have torn my meniscus (how? I am not really sure!). She said that there isn't much that can be done while I am pregnant, so she ordered PT for me. I started going to PT last week (2x per week) and it has helped some. The pain is actually not as bad when I am up moving around. It gets worse when I am resting it or sleeping because it gets stiff. Ice helps, as does a few stretches for my calf and hamstring that the therapist gave me. The worst thing about it is that I can't kneel on my left knee so getting up and down off of the floor (like when I am helping Jacob with a puzzle or trying to clean up the mess he has made with toys strewn all over the playroom) isn't easy or comfortable! It is just a pain and not something else that I really want to deal with!

Other than those "few" things, life is good! Like I said, time is flying by and it is hard to believe that my due date is less than two months away! We have just started to get things together here to move Jacob into the extra room and get the nursery back to where it will be ready for the baby. I just need to make time to get it done!

I am now on the "every two weeks" pre-natal appointment schedule so my next appointment is Friday, July 6th. Keith and Jacob are heading out of town that weekend to visit Keith's family in PA I am staying back to get things done around here. My mom is going to come help with organizing things that Saturday and hopefully we can get Jacob's room ready for him to move in upon his return! I am not stressing just yet, but the idea of a baby coming early (possibly in a very short 6 weeks) does make me a bit worried! We have a lot of things to do between now and then!! I hope we can get it all done!

Glucose Tolerance Test Results

Last Wednesday, I got a call from a nurse at the OB's office saying that I had failed my Glucose Screening Test. :( I was pretty sure that everything was fine since I hadn't heard anything and it had been almost a week since I had taken the test. So I was honestly kind of surprised to get the call. She said that my Blood Glucose level was not super high - it was144 - but it needed to be below 129 to be considered normal. Therefore, I needed to go to the lab for a three-hour Glucose Tolerance Test within the next few days. Fun times! I was not necessarily worried that I failed the one-hour test, since I had done the same when I was pregnant with Jacob (my level that time was 166). But, I was hopeful that, similar to that time, I would not fail the three-hour test!

Thankfully, Keith was able to take Friday off from work so I made an appointment at the lab to do the three-hour test that day. They wanted me to be there between 7-8am so it would have been tricky to get Jacob to someone's house or even have someone come here to watch him that early. It was nice that Daddy was able to stay home and spend some time with him too! I felt like I didn't need to rush and I even ran a bunch of errands (grabbed lunch and went to Sam's Club & Walmart) after I left the lab - it was nice to have a day to get some necessary things accomplished without having to take Jacob along.

The three-hour test wasn't that bad and the time seemed to go by quite quickly. I arrived at the lab around 8am, they took some blood before I drank the "sweet juice" (100 grams of glucose in the same sized bottle as the picture above, Lemon-Lime flavored this time...it was really gross and kind of hard to get down in the five minute allowed time). Then, I got registered and sat in the waiting room for the next three hours. They called me back to give a blood sample every hour (at 9:15am, 10:15am and 11:15am). The women who took my blood did a really good job and, of the four times I was pricked, only one of them didn't take the first time. My right arm seems to have the beat veins since they took blood from my right hand once and my right arm three times (it was my left arm that didn't want to cooperate - she said that my vein "rolled" so she couldn't get any blood even after poking around).

There were two other pregnant women there who were also doing the same thing I was, so we would chat every now and then while we were waiting. One of them is due Aug 20th and the other on Aug 21st. We joked that we would see each other at the hospital when we had our babies. Ironic thing is that they were both having boys too! I took my computer with me and there was free wi-fi in the main building's waiting area (but not in the lab waiting area), so I would wander out there every now and then to check my email or facebook. I even got a little (paid) work done. I also worked a bit on getting photos and videos organized on my Macbook so I can get them off the computer and onto DVDs (this is an on-going project that takes a long time so some uninterrupted time with nothing else to do was perfect for this!).

When I spoke to the nurse on the phone on Wednesday, she said that they might have the results on Friday afternoon, but they would definitely be available on Monday, so I decided to call the doctor's office yesterday morning. The nurse that answered the phone said that she was actually just getting ready to call me because she had gotten a note from the doctor regarding my results. When she said that my glucose levels were normal, I was very relieved! My specific numbers were:

Fasting - 87 mg/dl (needed to be under 95)
One hour - 174 mg/dl (needed to be under 180)
Two Hours - 145 mg/dl (needed to be under 155)
Three Hours - 100 mg/dl (needed to be under 140)

These numbers are similar, although a little different, to what they were three years ago with my last pregnancy. It is interesting to compare the numbers. I am thankful that I don't need to worry about Gestational Diabetes. So far, things seem to be going well with this pregnancy. I hope that continues for the next 11 weeks!!

27 Week Update

I had a pre-natal appointment today that was, thankfully, very uneventful. I was up 4 lbs for a total of 11 lbs so far. I have read that at this point I should be gaining a pound a week so I guess that is right on track. The doctor didn't mention anything about it, so I guess I shouldn't be concerned either.

I met with Dr. Montgomery today. He is actually the doctor who was on-call the weekend I had Jacob and I have such good memories of him from that time. Today's meeting was a confirmation of that good feeling because he was super nice and very talkative. We didn't really have that much to talk about, but we talked a little about my desire to try a VBAC. The discussion started when I told him that I felt like I was carrying this baby super high again, similar to how it was with Jacob. I have noticed that I am starting to get uncomfortable under my breasts after wearing an underwire bra because it is getting tight up in that area, especially towards the end of the day. I had that problem in my pregnancy with Jacob and I ended up having to wear a bra that had no wire (which is not very supportive for a big-breasted woman like me!). I am not to that point just yet, but I fear that it is coming soon!

Dr. Montgomery said that when he measured me, I was measuring a bit larger than I should be. He didn't give me the exact measurement, but he said that it was nothing to be alarmed about right now. He said we would just keep monitoring the growth and see what happens in the coming weeks. He asked how big Jacob was when he was born and when I told him that he was 7 lbs, 4 oz at 37 weeks, he said that he probably would have been close to 9 lbs if he had come closer to my due date. He said, "Maybe you just grow big babies" and thus led to the discussion of a VBAC and trying to push out a "big baby". Oh joy! I guess we shall see in the next few months how things pan out.

While I was at the appointment today, I was able to also drink the "yummy" sugary drink for my glucose test. I arrived at the office about 15 mins early in the hopes that I could drink the stuff while I was waiting in the reception area (to cut down on the time I had to wait afterwards), but upon checking in, the receptionist told me I had to get the drink from the nurse. Of course, as fate would have it, they were about 15 mins late calling me back, but thankfully Jacob was really good in the waiting room - playing with the toys there, eating a snack and reciting his ABCs & telling me stories super loud for all those around us to hear! :)

Once we got back to the exam room, I was able to drink the glucose drink after the nurse did my weight, blood pressure and I gave a urine sample. The drink was cold and orange flavored so it wasn't "that" bad, all things considered. After my 10 mins or so with the doctor, we still have 40 mins to wait until I could get my blood drawn. So, I made my next appointment, then we slowly made our way down the hall to the elevator, took a detour to go look at a bunny statue that Jacob really likes that is in a patio area outside the office building, got into the car, and headed across the street to the lab. Once we got to that building, I made a stop in the restroom to pee, stopped to look at two other statues that Jacob wanted to admire, and then went to the lab to register and wait. Again, Jacob was really good, even though we had to wait about 15 mins until they called us back. He was happy to sit and play with the iPad - putting puzzles together, reading books, and watching videos (old episodes of Tom and Jerry on Youtube are his favorite right now!).

It took two sticks for the lab tech to get blood from me - she had no luck with a stick in my left arm and then opted to go for a nice big vein in my right hand. I was assuming I was going to have a big bruise on my left arm from where she was moving the needle around so much to try to get into the vein, but actually there isn't even anything there. My hand is a little tender to the touch, but nothing too awful. Now, I just have to wait until (hopefully!) tomorrow to find out the results. They will call me if I fail the test, but Dr. Montgomery said I could also call tomorrow afternoon to check, since they don't normally call if everything is OK. I am praying that I don't have to go back and do the three hour test, mostly because it takes so long and I will have to find someone to watch Jacob. Oh, and the possibility that I could have Gestational Diabetes isn't pleasant to think about either!!

Some other random thoughts:

• I am still experiencing heartburn, but not nearly as bad since I have started taking Zantac twice a day now (once first thing in the morning and then again around 5pm). I have woken up a few times recently in the middle of the night with a burning feeling, but it hasn't been too awful...yet. I fear that it is going to get worse, just like with my last pregnancy.
  
• This baby continues to move around a lot and is most mobile in the evenings and at night. It is nice to feel him moving around, but sometimes - especially when I am trying to sleep - it can be a little bothersome. I am really trying to enjoy it though - like a lot things with this pregnancy - since this will most likely be the last time I experience this.
  
• I am always amazed at how much my already huge breasts grow (sorry for the TMI!). I just think....really, can they get any bigger???!!!
  
• I have not experienced any swelling yet, but I am having a lot of numbness in my hands. This happens, especially with my right hand, at night while I am sleeping. Almost every night, when I wake up to pee, I have to shake my hand around to try to get feeling back in it! I also have some discomfort in my right wrist, which I attribute to carpel tunnel from working on the computer so much. I am going to start wearing a brace at night to see if that helps (it didn't last time) and may wear a brace when I am working on the computer during the day if it gets much worse. Dr. Montgomery mentioned PT as a possibility if it gets really bad, but I don't think I will do that. I did PT with my last pregnancy and it never really helped.
  
• It is getting harder for me to bend over and move around, although I know it is going to get worse. I have a hard time getting up from sitting on the floor with Jacob or even sometimes just getting off the couch. I feel like I am much bigger this time around. Or just growing faster. I guess it is because it is my second pregnancy. And, I am doing much more bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, lifting, etc this time around playing with - and chasing after - a toddler and keeping up with the normal everyday house-related activities (cleaning, laundry, washing dishes, etc).
  
• This poor little guy still doesn't have a name, although Keith has pretty much said that I can pick the name this time since he got to choose Jacob (with my blessing). Of course, he has some say in it, but we have thrown a few things around and he is fine with my choices. The problem I am having is that one week I think I love something and the next week, I don't like it anymore. I know we have three more months to decide on this, but it just seems weird since Jacob had a name at 20 weeks! I would honestly like to start calling him something other than "the baby" or "he", but I just can't decide on anything permanent!
  
• We have still not made much headway in preparing for this little guy's arrival into our home. I am trying not to stress about it - or the fact that we have every Saturday booked between now and the end of July!! Keith did spray paint the toddler bed that we got free for Jacob (from a Lightening McQueen red to black) this past weekend and we are just giving it time to permanently dry. We have purchased bins to start packing up the toys that Jacob doesn't play with anymore, but I haven't gotten around to actually removing anything! We have talked about our plan to get the room rearranged from a playroom to a bedroom, but just have to take the time to start doing things. It will all get done in time....it will all get done in time....it will all get done in time!! (I will keep telling myself that!)
  
• Not baby related, but a totally "oh my gosh where is the time going" thought.....Jacob will be three years old in two weeks!!! I am preparing for two birthday parties (one with family on June 9th and one with his friends at a local spray park on June 22nd) along with everything else that is going on. I have been meaning to do a post about our biggest little guy and what he has been doing, but I haven't gotten around to it. Maybe soon!

My next appointment with the OB is on June 20th. That will be my last monthly visit and then I will start going every two weeks. Wow....time if surely flying by!

23-24 Weeks Update

Last week, I had my monthly pre-natal exam (at 23 weeks) and it went well. The basics were done - urine sample, blood pressure (which was higher than normal at 131/80, but the nurse didn't seem too concerned), and weight (up 1 lb for a total of 7 lbs so far).

I saw Dr. Culver, one of the six doctors in the practice, and he was very nice. I hadn't seen him since early on when I was pregnant with Jacob and I was pleased that he was so friendly. I find that I often prefer female doctors since they tend to be more compassionate and understanding. But, Dr. Culver was very talkative and we discussed a lot of things.

First, he looked at my chart and said "So, we are looking at a due date of August 18th?" and I said, "Uh, no, I was told at my first appointment that it was August 24th." He seemed kinda puzzled and looked through my chart a little more. Once he read through some notes left by the other doctors, he said he didn't understand why August 18th was written down because based on my last period and his calculations, it should really be August 22nd. I told him I was fine with that since it was only two days earlier than I was originally told, but I would have been more freaked out if he had pushed it up by an entire week. Not that I have any control over when this little boy is going to come out, but I am certainly not trying to rush this pregnancy!

Once we had the due date issue figured out, he listened to the baby's heartbeat and, thankfully, it didn't take long for him to find it. It was "in the 140s" and really strong. After that, he felt my abdomen a little and measured my belly, which he said looked fine. I am certainly starting to feel bigger, although since I am overweight and have a lot of "extra" in my belly area, it is hard for most people to tell that I am pregnant. I kinda like it when the doctors say that I am growing just like I should and don't point out the extra weight I am carrying!

After the heartbeat and measurement, we discussed the Gestational Diabetes Screening test that I will have to have in the next month. Dr. Culver said that I can actually have the test done on the same day as my next pre-natal exam. Apparently the procedure has changed from three years ago when I had Jacob (back then I had to go to Lab Corp in a different part of the building for the test). This time, he said I can just let the receptionist know that I want to have the test when I check in for my appointment and she will give me the yummy (not!) sugary drink to consume. Then, after my appointment, I have to go across the street to the lab to give my blood sample once an hour has passed. I am really not trying to stress about this test, even though I did fail the one hour test when I was pregnant with Jacob (but passed the three hour test). I remember being really worried that I was going to have GD with Jacob. This time, I am just going to go with the flow and see what happens. Stressing is not going to make it be positive or negative! I am just hopeful that I can pass the one hour test this time so that I don't have to find a babysitter for Jacob and sit in the lab for three hours!

Dr. Culver also talked to me about my desired birth plan this time around. Since I had a c-section with Jacob, he said I had the option of having a repeat scheduled c-section or trying a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarean). We talked about the risks of both and I told him that I have thought about this ever since I had my c-section and I think I would really like to try for a vbac. The idea of another c-section does not bother or scare me, but if I am able to naturally (with pain meds, of course!!) push this baby out, I think that is my desire. Dr. Culver said that the reasons I had to have a c-section with Jacob (my water broke at 37 weeks and I was not dilated so they had to induce me with pitocin AND Jacob was transverse so he never came down the birth canal) will hopefully not be factors with this baby so he didn't see any reason why a vbac wouldn't be a viable option. He did say that in order to have a vbac, my body will have to go into labor naturally. If that doesn't happen for some reason or if those same factors seem to occur again, I will have to have a repeat c-section. At this point, only time will tell!

As of today, I am 24 weeks and 1 day and the time seems to continue to fly by. I am trying not to get anxious about all that needs to be done before this little one arrives, but it is certainly in the back of my head. Over the next two months or so, Keith and I need to formulate a plan of moving Jacob out of his room and into what is now the playroom. This will involve moving two dressers and a toddler bed out of the garage and also finding other space in the house (or in the garage or crawl space) for the enormous amount of toys that are currently in the playroom. I am a little worried that the transition will not be easy for Jacob since he has told me numerous times that he wants to stay in his room and the baby can sleep in the playroom. I am not sure that he really knows what he is saying, other than the idea of moving out the room that he has been in for the past almost three years is probably very scary. I am hoping that once he sees that he can be in the bigger room with some of his toys, he will be ok. I guess we will see!

For the most part, I am feeling pretty good right now. I am starting to feel bigger and wearing maternity clothes for the most part (even though most of the shirts and some of the pants are still too big!). My regular clothes (especially my pants) just don't fit any longer. Most days, I find myself wearing my "comfy pants" (ie, cotton pants with drawstrings) for a majority (or all) of the day. If we have nowhere to go, I just put them on in the morning and if we go out somewhere, I change as soon as we get home! I feel a little bad for Keith because every day when he gets home I look like a frumpy housewife! haha He says he doesn't care and I am glad because at least I am comfortable!  I don't have many casual summer maternity bottoms since I was working full-time in an office during my last pregnancy. I have plenty of business casual clothes, but not a lot of things to wear to the playground or to the grocery store. I have never been a fan of shorts, but I just ordered myself two pair of shorts and a pair of capris from JCPenney.  I am hoping they fit ok and I like them because but I know that I am going to get bigger and bigger and the weather is going to get hotter and hotter in the coming months!

This baby is definitely much more of a mover than Jacob was and I feel him move numerous times a day, whenever I am still. Usually it is in the afternoons when I am sitting down to work and at night when I am on the couch, either working or watching TV. So far, the movements haven't hindered my sleep (although I am having other issues in that area) and I am enjoying feeling him move! Hopefully Keith will be able to feel it soon since he was never really able to feel Jacob move.

The huge pregnancy pillow that I bought during my last pregnancy has made its way back into our bed. It makes it a little more comfortable to sleep with it since I can put part of it between my knees and I can hug the other part while I sleep. Just like last time, I am having trouble getting comfortable on my side since I am a (non-pregnant) stomach sleeper. I am also finding that my hands and fingers are going numb during the night and, of course, I am waking up to pee at least once. Since this is the second time around, I know that these are all "normal" things that pregnant women go through, but it still doesn't make it any easier! Thankfully, this time around, I don't have to get up early to go to work and Jacob is a late sleeper. Most mornings, I sleep until he starts calling for me around 7:30-8am.

I am also dealing with an increase of heartburn no matter what I eat or drink. This is nothing new, as I dealt with it pretty bad during my last pregnancy. I have been trying to stay away from taking medication and using the all-natural Papaya Enzyme pills my sister suggested, but there are a few days that I have resorted to taking Zantac. I was on that daily with Jacob (and taking it twice a day towards the end) so I am sure it is just going to get worse. I was trying to stay away from the foods that would cause the heartburn, but now, it comes at the oddest times (like yesterday after I drank milk), so I just eat/drink what I want and deal with the consequences.

I have also experienced the weird numbness in my left thigh that I had during my last pregnancy. It hasn't happened as much as it did last time, but it is still a little bothersome at times. Last time, I had PT done but it never really helped it go away. This time I am just going to chalk it up as another pregnancy symptom and deal with it.

My next pre-natal appointment and Glucose Screening Test are on May 24th. I will post another update then, unless something exciting or unusual happens and I post sooner. :)

Mid-point Ultrasound & Gender Reveal

Many people had been asking me my preference for a boy or a girl ever since I announced I was pregnant. Honestly, I didn't feel a strong urge to "want" either one. Of course, having one of each gender has its advantages - seeing how different girls and boys can be both physically and emotionally as they grow, learning how to parent a child of each gender, having a boy to play trucks with and a girl to dress up. But, having a girl after having a boy the first time also brings more expense and a little more stress, honestly. We already have all boy stuff so having a boy would just be "easier". Well, as we all know, we have no control over the gender of our children so I was happy to just know that our baby was healthy.

Keith and Jacob really wanted this baby to be a boy. Keith has admitted that having a girl makes him a little nervous since he doesn't know "girl stuff". And, there is the expense that I already mentioned. He is happy to have another son, but he also said he would not be disappointed if it is a girl.

I honestly don't think Jacob really understands or grasps the concept that another little person is going to be joining our family in a few short months. Although, he has been telling me for the past few weeks that he wants to have a brother (he said "I want a brother like Pierce"). He made it clear that he doesn't want a sister and when I said "Well, what are we going to do if it is a girl?", he said "If it is a girl, we aren't bringing her home." I guess he really has his mind made up! haha

This past Thursday, I had my mid-point ultrasound and we were able to finally find out the gender of our sweet baby. I am often amazed at the number of people who do not find out the gender of their baby until he/she is born. I have a hard time waiting 20 weeks, much less nine months!! I must say, these 20 weeks have gone by sort of fast though!

Similar to the mid-point ultrasound that we had with Jacob, the ultrasound tech did not take much time before she said "Are you sure you want to know the gender?". It appears that our little ones are not modest at all and, thankfully, we were able to hear her say (and see for ourselves!) that it is a BOY!

We were all really excited and glad to hear that he is doing really well. The tech did have me get up twice during the exam (once to walk around & once to lay on my side for a bit) to see if the baby would change position. He was laying with his back up and it was hard for her to see some things on his left side, such as the left side of his heart and his left arm. Needless to say, as much as he was moving around (he wouldn't stay still throughout the entire exam), he never moved his entire body so she could get good pictures of what she needed. She did say that she saw enough to know that he is 100% healthy and everything looks great. His heartbeat was measured at 151 bpm and she said he weighed approximately 1 lb 2 oz (exactly what Jacob weighed when we found out his gender!).

At the end, I asked the tech if she could get a good profile picture of the baby. Like I said, he was moving around so much that it was hard to get a really good one. But, she did get this one:

I am so happy to know that our sweet baby boy is growing strong and he is right where he should be. I am excited and anxious to meet him on the outside, but I am also definitely NOT ready for him to arrive anytime soon. We still have a lot of planning, purchasing, possible redecorating, and furniture moving to do before his arrival. We are unsure if Jacob will remain in the room he is in now and the baby will take the 3rd bedroom (which is currently the playroom) or if Jacob will move to the bigger room. When I asked him, he said that he wants to stay in his room but we will see if that changes in the near future. I will hopefully have the opportunity to blog more about all of that as it happens. Stay tuned...

18 weeks 5 days update

I went to the OB today for my monthly pre-natal exam. It was nothing exciting - just the regular stuff: Weight (total of 7 lbs gained so far), BP (today it was 130/80 which is a little high for me but nothing to be concerned about), pee in a cup (all good!) and then listening the baby's heartbeat.

Dr. Wamhoff came in and we chatted for a few mins. She asked how things were going and if I had any concerns (which I said I didn't). She started to examine my belly and she made a comment about how high up my uterus seemed to be (near my belly button). I told her that I felt like this time around I was getting bigger sooner than I did with Jacob. I think the first time around it took me a lot longer to really "show". This time, I am feeling like my stomach is getting much rounder (even with the extra padding that I have there! haha).

Jacob was being unusually hyper during the appointment (at the last appointment, Dr. Wamhoff complimented me on how well behaved Jacob was and today he was not good!). He was all over the exam room while we were trying to talk and he literally climbed the wall to get on a little ledge near the windows while we were trying to listen to the doppler. He was also being very loud so I kept having to ask him to be quiet so that the doctor could hear the baby's heartbeat.

She started off by placing the doppler towards the bottom of my belly (where most babies are normally) but she couldn't get anything. Then, after about a minute of searching she found something, but it ended up being my heartbeat instead of the baby's! She told me not to worry and that she was going to find it. Then she said, "And if I don't find it, we will go do an ultrasound". I was honestly getting a little scared. About another minute later, she was running the doppler up higher (near my belly button) when she finally said "There it is". I asked her if she was sure because I couldn't really hear it and she said that she was 100% sure. Then, I asked her what the rate was and she listened a bit more and said it was in the 150s. Needless to say, I was relieved and happy to hear that things seem to be progressing as they should be.

So far, this pregnancy hasn't really been that bad in the way of symptoms. The most annoying things are the heartburn and the increased gag reflex. The heartburn seems to creep up on me at the strangest times - sometimes hours after I have eaten. It really doesn't seem to have anything to do with what I eat - I can eat spicy or really acidic foods and be fine, but then sometimes bland foods cause pain. My sister, Karen, gave me some Papaya Enzyme tablets that helped her when she was pregnant. They seem to be milder than Tums (and taste better too!) so I am popping them whenever the heartburn strikes!

The gag reflex is something that I experienced with my first pregnancy also. I am not sure what causes it but there have been many times in the recent past when I have gagged (and sometimes vomited) while I was brushing my teeth. I try to not brush too long or keep too much toothpaste/saliva in my mouth before I spit it out and that will sometimes help. It is just strange how sometimes it happens and other times it doesn't.

Right now, I am also dealing with some pain in my right shoulder whenever I lift my arm too high or reach across my body. I don't think it is pregnancy related but it is quite painful and annoying. I saw my PCP on Monday and she said that it was just a pulled muscle. She gave me some suggestions on exercises to do and said that heat and Tylenol would help. So far, nothing is really working, but I am not really able to rest it so I will have to wait and see how things progress. The doctor said I could go to PT if it doesn't get better, but I am going to hold off on that for now.

Other than that, I am feeling pretty good and actually cannot believe that I am almost halfway through this pregnancy. Just like the first time around with Jacob, I feel like the first few weeks seem to drag, but then once I hit the second trimester, time seems to fly by. We have our mid-point ultrasound scheduled for April 12th and I can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl!

PA trip to visit old friends

Two weeks ago, we packed up the car and headed north to PA to visit Keith's family and friends. We hadn't been up there since Thanksgiving and we were all looking forward to the visit. Thankfully, since we are able to bring less stuff now, we were able to take Keith's car instead of my gas-guzzling Jeep. There is certainly not as much room in the Sonata, but we made it work. As you can see Jacob was happy sitting in the back seat eating a bagel with cream cheese as we headed out of town.
We left on Thursday morning around 8:30am (only 30 minutes later than we had hoped, which is pretty good for us!). We drove to Somerset to pick up Keith's mom and then onto Eighty-Four, PA to stay with Keith's cousin, Dave and his wife, Roxann. They have a beautiful (and very spacious) home that they moved into a few years ago and we had never seen it. In November, we had talked about us coming to visit sometime so when we planned this trip we asked if it would be OK for us to stay with them for part of it. We had planned to meet up with two of Keith's friends from college on Friday and Eighty-Four is closer than Somerset to where we were meeting them.

Dave and Roxann were awesome hosts - they bought the food that Jacob likes, Roxann is a wonderful cook who kept us very well fed, and they even put one of their two dogs in the kennel for the time we were there. Their dog, Dudley, is a mix of St. Bernard, Great Dane and some other things. Needless to say, he is quite big and a tad bit rough at times. Dave and Roxann were worried that he would be rough around Jacob so they decided to board him while were there.

Dave & Roxann's other dog, Otis, is so sweet and Jacob really warmed up to him quickly. He would say that he wanted to play with him or pet him, but then when Otis would come towards him, Jacob would shy away a little thinking that Otis might run him over. He also wanted to constantly pet their cat, who really didn't want to be bothered. He is just a natural lover of animals!

As you can see, Otis warmed up to Jacob too! One day, while Jacob was watching a movie on his portable DVD player, Otis jumped up on the air mattress and laid down next to him. It was pretty darn cute!


As I previously said, on Friday, we met Keith's friend Liz (who he knows from library school) for lunch. Then, we met his friend Kevin (who he knows from his undergraduate days) for dinner. I was worried about Jacob being in two restaurants for two meals in one day, but he did pretty well. Lunch was a bit more stressful than dinner because he wanted to get down from the table and was getting kind of tired by the end. Thankfully, he slept well between the two meetings and at dinner, he was content to sit at the table and play with the iPad while the three of us ate and talked.

On Saturday, Dave & Roxann hosted the rest of Keith's family so that we could all get together while we were visiting. His aunt Kay, uncle Barry, cousin Suzie and her husband, Tad all came over for lunch and together time. Jacob took a great nap after lunch which gave the adults time to visit. As is the case most of the time when we visit, the guys were all hanging out in one room (and this time, they were watching some comedy show and laughing hysterically) and we girls were in another room catching up and laughing. It is always great to gab with these fun ladies!

Once Jacob woke up from his nap, he got some Easter presents from Barry & Kay, including a puzzle. Tad, Suzie, and Kay all helped him put it together.

On Sunday afternoon, we left Eighty-Four and headed back to Somerset to spend the rest of the trip at my MIL's apartment. We were again meeting up with a friend of Keith's on Monday. Our meeting spot was closer to Somerset so it made sense to split up the trip and stay part of the time there.

I was nervous about Jacob sleeping well on this trip because this would be the first time we traveled without him in a pack-and-play. He was just getting too big for it and it wasn't very comfortable for him anymore. I purchased a child travel bed from One Step Ahead and was really excited (but also worried) about him sleeping in it. I bought this particular one because it is a mattress inside of a shell that has high sides. I was hoping this would keep him from rolling off, but I wasn't sure that he would like it since he has really only slept in something with higher sides (a crib or a pack-and-play).

He did remarkably well sleeping on it, except for the fact that there was a small leak that caused the mattress to partially deflate while he was sleeping. The first night he slept really well until he woke up about 6:30am on Friday morning and was clearly uncomfortable due to him being on a partially deflated mattress. We continued to add air to the mattress over the next few sleeps (nap on Friday, Friday night and nap on Saturday), but by Saturday afternoon we knew that he could not sleep on the mattress another night since it had completely deflated during his nap on Saturday. Thankfully, we had brought another twin size air mattress to use at Keith's mom's house so he was able to sleep on that Saturday night and for his nap on Sunday. He did roll off of the twin mattress once during the night on Saturday, but he got back up on it and slept pretty well the rest of the night.

When we got to Keith's mom's apartment on Sunday, we decided to have him sleep in her bed since he always sleeps in her room anyways. And, she has a day bed that has rails on three sides. We used pillows to "build up" the fourth side so that he wouldn't roll off and he slept great for the two nights & one nap that we were there.

Here he is getting stories read to him by Daddy after his bath on Sunday night.


Since Keith's mom lives in a one bedroom apartment on the 6th floor, there isn't much for Jacob to do. We often bring some toys along, but I worry every trip that he is going to get bored and go crazy with nothing to do. Thankfully, these days he is content looking at vidoes on Daddy's iPhone, coloring or playing games/reading books on the iPad and he did really well on this particular trip. It seems that a lot of things just keep getting easier and easier as he gets older!!

On Monday, we went to Seven Springs Mountain Resort and met up with one of Keith's oldest friends from childhood, JB. He and his wife and their son had flown up from Florida to visit JB's family. He and Keith grew up together and hadn't seen each other in over 20 years. They reconnected on Facebook and we planned this trip specifically so that we would be up there while they were visiting.

Keith used to work at the Resort. He was a night desk clerk there while he was in grad school and was also taking care of this ill grandmother (who raised him). From the stories I have heard, it was a very busy (and often stressful and tiring) time in his life, but he has a lot of great memories of the Resort. I had been there once (before we were married) and it was fun to return and bring Jacob with us this time.

Even though the temperature was very mild (in the 60s) while we were there, they had plenty of man-made snow to play in.

Here is a picture of Jacob and me with JB, his wife, Lori, their son, Thomas and JB's sister, Mary Ellen. Mary Ellen lives in Western PA but since the others live in Florida, Thomas was loving the snow! He had only seen snow once before in his seven years of life!

It was quite amusing to see people skiing and to make snowballs while I was in a short-sleeved shirt! I am sure that is something that I have never done before!


Jacob was not interested in standing still for a family photo. This one was the best of the bunch!

Seven Springs has a game room (similar to something like Chuck E Cheese where you play with tokens and win tickets) with a lot of fun games. After a delicious lunch, we spent about an hour there enjoying ourselves with the games!





On Monday night, we spent more time with Keith's mom and then we left to head back home on Tuesday morning. The car ride home was not very pleasant for me. I am not sure if it was being pregnant and being in the car so long or that I was having to turn around to help Jacob numerous times or a combination of both. I was nauseous for most of the trip and was glad when we finally pulled into the driveway.

It was certainly a busy trip but it was nice to be able to see so many friends and family members. We are blessed that Jacob is so adaptable when we are traveling. I always get worried that the car ride and the sleeping arrangements are going to be troublesome, but somehow, they always seem to work out fine.