Duke Owen Baker

One of my favorite things to talk about is the birth of my babies. The joy, the excitement, the unknown of it all is like a rush of emotions, and I love to relive it over and over. Since Duke is almost a year old, I figured I better jot his story down before I forget it! Some details are already fleeting, so thankfully I had notes in my phone!

Let me just start off by saying how ecstatic we were to find out that he was a boy! Drew wanted and was convinced it was another girl. I just remember being on cloud 9 after we had his ultrasound... every day felt like Christmas! 

Since I had a partial abruption with Sadie, I had to be extra cautious this time around... no running, no heavy lifting, minimal physical activity... my doctor didn't want to take any chances. As I got closer to the end of my pregnancy, I started getting a little uncomfortable but nothing out of the ordinary. I was blessed to have felt as good as I did towards the end.

However, the last few weeks I was convinced that she would check me and say I was dilated because I thought I could tell that things were progressing or he was dropping or something! But nope. Every week, she'd say, "well... nothing! You're not dilated at all! Not even a little bit!" I'd leave so discouraged, but thankful everything was fine.

She set me up for an induction at 39 weeks because she wanted to be in control of my labor and didn't want me having him when I couldn't get to the hospital in time. We went in super early Friday, January 23, 2020 at 5:30. We got checked in, signed papers, changed into my hospital gown, and settled in for the long haul. 

Around 7:30 Dr. Watson came in to break my water and they started me on Pitocin. The nurses brought a big ball in for me to sit on in hopes of getting Duke to drop and help me dilate. Drew and I sat around talking, joking, laughing, and making guesses of what Duke would be like. I could feel some contractions, but they were very manageable. Nothing painful yet.

Drew left mid morning to go grab some breakfast. He was nervous about leaving me but I assured him I'd be fine. I was nowhere near close to having the baby. When he left, I turned on the Lindsay McCaul station on Pandora and sat there on my ball, humming to my baby boy. It was such a calm and peaceful morning.

A little before 11 Dr. Watson came by again. I had started to dilate but Duke was still sitting high. She suggested I go ahead and get my epidural because she knew how fast I labor once I get going, and she wanted to make sure I had time to get it. I sort of felt like I was cheating the system. I hadn't even gotten to the painful contractions yet?! But she assured me the epidural would not wear off and it would be fine. I agreed, and I got the epidural about 11 that morning.

The nurses brought in a peanut ball and I held in between my knees while I laid on my left side for about 30 minutes. The nurse checked me again, but there was no progress so she told me to flip over to my right side. After laying there for a bit, I started making some progress. She checked me again and I was 6cm. She said she felt something over his head but wasn't sure what it was. It was either the umbilical cord or his hand above his head.

She waited until my next contraction and checked me again and he dropped right then! She told me to call for her if I started feeling pressure. She came back about 20 minutes later and I was 8cm. I was feeling pressure at this point and told her I almost had the urge to push. 

About 20 more minutes went by and she checked me one more time. She said I was almost fully dilated, and they helped me get on my back. Dr. Watson and the nurses came in. Everyone was getting dressed, scurrying around getting ready for a baby! That's one of my favorite moments. There's such excitement in the air and it's almost baby time! 

I pushed through 2 contractions and he was born! He came out sideways "like a linebacker." Since he took so long to drop, he didn't spend much time in the birth canal so he had a perfectly shaped melon, according to Dr. Watson.

They immediately laid him on my chest and he just laid there melting into me. I couldn't even see him because he was so close to my face but I didn't care. It didn't matter what he looked like in that moment, because my son was here. He was alive and healthy and all was right in our world. The nurse offered to take him to get his measurements and I remember saying, "Not yet... just let me hold him a little bit longer!"

Also, we think it must've been his little hand that the nurse felt over his head because when he was born, he had a tiny scratch on the top of his head. 

Funny story... while Duke was laying on my chest, I couldn't see well because he was blocking my view but I could feel something on my stomach. I grabbed it and asked Drew, "Aww, is this his foot?" Drew had the most disgusted look on his face and said, "Ugh! NO. DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Turns out, it was the umbilical cord. Lol!

 

Charlotte Emily Baker

Well, SHE'S here! Yep, that's right, this baby that we waited a long 9 months to meet is a sweet precious little girl!

I can't even begin to describe how much we love her. I want to write her story out before too much time passes and I start to forget the details...

We were supposed to check-in at the hospital at 7:00pm Thursday night. That afternoon, the nurse called and asked us to come at 8:00pm because they still didn't have our room ready. What's one more hour when you've waited 9 months? It actually worked out fine. That day was Scott's birthday, so we were able to meet them, along with Pappy and Annie, for dinner at The Rails. The nurse had told me to eat a big dinner so I'd have energy, but to be honest, food was the last thing on my mind at that point. I managed to eat a baked potato, then after supper, Drew and I ran by Wal-Mart because we were out of cat food (of all things?!) We swung by the house, picked up Zoe, and took her to Pappy and Annie's. We said a quick goodbye to our Livy Lou, and we were on our way!

We checked in to our room, I changed in to the ever fashionable hospital gown, they hooked me up to the monitors, and I settled in to my bed for the long haul! Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more. There were 2 other women being induced so the nurses were super busy. I finally got an IV around 10:30pm.

Since we were following the same plan as we did with Olivia and she was born around noon, we were figuring this baby would come about mid-morning. So we had told our family to expect a call sometime the next morning. Well, when I was just getting an IV at 10:30pm, I started thinking it may be more like noon or afternoon before the baby is born. I was starting to get frustrated because I was so ready to get the show on the road. When I had Olivia, I was so naive, because I had no idea what labor would be like. But with Charlotte, I knew exactly what was coming, and I was extremely nervous. I was just ready for it to be over! I was thinking I would be in labor all night and well on into the morning... but thankfully, God had a different plan...

11:30pm... The nurse finally came in and gave me the Cytotec pill. She also checked me and I was still 2cm dilated and about 70% effaced. I had already been having contractions on my own, and every time one started up, I'd get Drew to tell me what the machines said. Since I was laying in bed, I couldn't see it myself and I was curious to know how "strong" they were on a chart. The nurses were busy and didn't come in our room very often, so I wasn't getting a play-by-play of what was going on. That meant Drew and I were left to come up with the scenarios on our own. Scary, right?! Ha! We noticed the contraction machine was called TOCO, which we referred to as "TACO". We were trying to Google how to read the machine correctly, and every time I would have a contraction I'd ask him, "So what does "TACO" say about this one?" Probably not as funny as we thought it was at the time, but it was a good distraction!

12:00am... I noticed my contractions began to pick up within 30 minutes of taking the Cytotec. They were getting stronger and much closer together! The nurse came in to check on me and I asked her what exactly Cytotec was supposed to do. She said it's mainly used to ripen the cervix to prepare your body for labor. Sometimes it puts women into labor and sometimes it doesn't; it's different for everyone. I told her I could already tell a big difference, so we started getting excited! Not long after the nurse left, Drew came over to the bed, kissed me, and said the sweetest prayer for us and the baby. Just another reason why I love him so! Then we both tried to get a little rest. He was much more successful than I was, but he didn't get to sleep much either.

2:00am... I hung in there for a couple hours and the contractions were really getting stronger. They were leaving the uncomfortable stage and heading right towards painful. I asked Drew if he would go get the nurse because I wanted her to check me to see if I had progressed any. She said I was now 3cm dilated... not exactly what I wanted to hear! She asked what my pain level was on a scale from 1-10. Boy, do I hate answering that question! I don't want to sound like a pansy, but at the same time... I'm in pain! I slighted myself a little and said about a 4 or 5, but really I was feeling worse than that. She let me go to the bathroom while she went to get me some Demoral so I could get some rest. As soon as the Demoral went through my IV, my words started to slur and I could barely keep my eyes open! That stuff works! If only the contractions wouldn't have been so strong, I might would've been able to get some sleep. The nurse told me to rest and she probably wouldn't check me again until about 6:00am when they would give me the Pitocin.


3:30am... Somehow I managed to doze off in between contractions, and I woke up suddenly to my water breaking! Drew was asleep, and I told him to go get the nurse, STAT! For real, I knew it was about to be go time. I was feeling so much pressure! The nurse came in, checked me, and said I was 5cm dilated now. She called the anesthesiologist (who was at home) to come in for my epidural. Right after my water broke, things just got intense. Contractions were super painful, long, and very close together. Poor Drew tried to help the situation by stroking my hair and saying, "Just think of the beach..." to which I kindly responded, "Please don't talk." I really wasn't trying to be mean, but when you're about to push a baby out, thinking of the beach does you no good.


3:45am... About 15 minutes went by and I could tell something was happening. The pressure I was feeling was so extreme! Again, I made Drew go get the nurse. She came in, checked me, and said, "Ok, sweetie, you're a 9cm... I'm gonna lay you down and let's try not to push, Ok?" At this point, some things are a blur to me. When you're in so much pain, you don't always realize what's going on around you. They called Dr. Watson (who was also at home) to come immediately! Between contractions, I was begging for that epidural. I was so scared I was about to have this baby with no pain medication!

4:15am... Finally, the anesthesiologist showed up. I was still begging for the epidural. Actually, I think I remember saying, "Just give me anything!" Haha! I couldn't see this, but Drew said the anesthesiologist looked at the nurse, the nurse looked at her, and they both shook their heads like... there's no way... there's not enough time. But obviously they didn't want to tell me that so they tried their best to satisfy my mind. There was no way I could even sit up for an epidural, so they layed me on my side and rubbed some of that stuff on my back (I have no idea what it's called).

It wasn't long before I felt the most extreme pain I have ever felt before in my life. That baby was coming out whether we were ready or not. I told my nurse, "It's coming out!!!" I remember looking up at Drew, who was right by my head, and he had this look of terror on his face. I was scaring him. Afterwards, he said he just felt helpless. There was nothing he could do and he was so scared for me. I was scared because I had no idea how bad this was about to hurt! All of a sudden I felt another contraction coming, I told my nurse, and she told me not to push. She tried getting me to pant through it, but it was no use. The baby was coming! It was like I had no control over my body, and I didn't need to. My body knew exactly what it was doing. The baby was seriously coming out. They rolled me onto my back and literally, in 2 pushes, she was out at 4:22am.

It was instant relief for me. I immediately said, "What is it? What is it?" And my nurse said, "It's your baby!" Haha! We have laughed and laughed about that moment! 

The anesthesiologist and the nurse delivered my sweet baby. Dr. Watson came in not long after and Charlotte was already laying on the table getting cleaned up. Looking back, as painful and as scary as it was, it is so amazing to be able to say I gave birth to my daughter all natural. Without any pain medication. Just more proof to how amazing God is. He designed us in a way that our bodies know exactly what to do. Even though it didn't go according to my plan, it did go according to His. And for that I am thankful.


Charlotte Emily Baker was born at 4:22am. She weighted 9 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 21 inches long.
 

 

39 Week Check-Up

39 weeks

Heartbeat: 140

+1 lbs

We went to our last prenatal appointment this morning. Starting Monday morning, I could tell something was different. I felt different. I didn't know exactly what it was, but I knew I must be making some sort of progress. I woke up Tuesday morning with an achy stomach. I'm not sure how to describe it other than my whole stomach just ached, and I almost felt nauseous at times. That was new, so I was hoping it meant labor was coming!

Drew decided to work from home this morning so he could drive me to our appointment, and I was so relieved! I was a little nervous about having to make the trip by myself. We packed our hospital bags just in case, dropped Livy off with Annie, and headed to the doctor's office.

We waited for an hour in the waiting room. The suspense was killing me! I couldn't wait to hear what the doctor had to say! I described everything I had been feeling, and she assured me it all sounded like I was headed in the direction of labor. She checked me and said I am 2cm dilated, 60-70% effaced, and baby was nice and low! Then she said, "Do you want to wait this out or are you ready to make a move?"

Uhh... let's move. No doubt!

So she told us to go eat a big lunch, then a light supper, and be at the hospital tonight at 7pm. She would start me on Cytotec to pick up my contractions, maybe take another Cytotec around 2am, and depending on how well I reacted to that, possibly start Pitocin first thing in the morning. This wasn't a new plan for me... it was exactly what I did when I had Liv.

We were so excited! We texted everyone the good news while we enjoyed our "big lunch." And of course, all we talked about was the baby. Boy or girl? Would the baby look like Livy? We couldn't wait to see Livy hold the baby!

Drew had some things he needed to get done at work, so we pretended it was Take Your Wife to Work With You day, and I hung out with him in his office.

We hadn't been there long when I got a call from Dr. Watson's office... it was her nurse, Michelle. She said due to some new hospital policy, they would have to move my induction date from tonight to tomorrow night. Apparently, the hospital can only have 3 scheduled inductions at one time in order to leave room for any women in labor that happen to walk in. They already had 3 scheduled and I made #4, so I got the boot. Michelle apologized over and over for the confusion. I was so bummed! I know it's just a 24 hour difference, one day, but she might as well have said come back next week!

Soo... we have the same plan, it has just shifted back one day. Instead of going in on Wednesday night, we go Thursday night. The wait really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. My sweet friend, Kelly, took me to get a pedicure tonight. It was so relaxing, and I'm sure the nurses will be very appreciative that they won't have to look at my rough cinder block feet now! Ha! The wait also meant we got to spend one more night as a family of 3. Livy curled up on the couch with me about 8:30pm and fell asleep. That rarely happens! And it was just what I needed... extra muggle time with my best girl.

I'm also hoping I might progress a little more on my own tomorrow, getting me a little bit closer to that epidural! I'm a little nervous about labor, because I know what's coming. But I'm also hoping it'll go quickly! I'm just so excited and ready to see who this is that I've been carrying with me for 9 months.

Hopefully next time I post, it'll be a birth announcement!

38 Week Check-Up

38 weeks

Heartbeat: 150-155

+1 lbs

I only gained a pound this week bringing the total to 23 pounds in all. I'm pretty pumped about that. Less I'll have to work off after baby is here! 

She said the heart rate was about 150, but when the baby started moving around it jumped up to 155. 

She said I'm 1cm dilated but my cervix is softened up and ready to go. She said I would probably dilate pretty quickly once contractions pick up. She also said that because I have a "pretty significantly good sized baby" (her words, not mine!) that I don't have to wait until my due date to induce labor. I really did not want to be induced again, but I also don't want to be pushing out a 10 pounder! 

We go back next Wednesday and we could have a baby as early as Thursday! She's basically leaving it up to us to pick the date, which us not as easy as it sounds! All along, my due date was February 3rd, but if we induce next Thursday we'll have a January baby. So which month should we pick? What date? What's easiest to remember? So many decisions! 

We're just going to wait and see what's happening next Wednesday at my appointment and then we'll go from there. 

How excited am I??? I can't even put it into words! I can't wait to see who this baby is!!!

37 Week Check-Up

37 weeks

Heartbeat:???

+0 lbs

I'm getting really bad at forgetting to ask what the heart rate is. I kept giggling while she was trying to listen because my belly was jumping all over the place. The heart beat was much easier to find this time though! My blood pressure was a little high today, but I'm pretty sure that's normal towards the end of pregnancy... right?! I didn't gain any weight this week though! Which means so far I've gained 22 pounds. Not too shabby. 

I told Drew that in my mind after Dr. Watson checked me today, she would say Oh my! You're already 4cm dilated... just head on over to the hospital and get your epidural. We'll have us a baby today! And that was pretty much how it happened... except for it wasn't at all how it happened. Ha! She said I'm not quite a 1cm; however, my cervix is softened. Basically, just keep cooking, Baby Baker! 

I've reached the point in the pregnancy where I'm just over it. Not a complaining/griping over it sort of way, just over it because I'm so ready to meet this little one! It's consuming my mind, and it's all I can think about! Boy or girl... girl or boy! And I know, I know... I did this to myself by not finding out! But it'll be so exciting on delivery day! 

Livy's bag is packed and ready to stay with Pappy and Annie whenever the time comes. She's got her BIG SIS shirt ready to wear! My bag and baby's bag are a different story. I should probably get on that, just in case! We cleaned out the truck today and have it ready to install the car seat. Livy is so excited that the baby gets to ride right beside her. 

I've been trying to do some extra cleaning around the house and keep it picked up in case we have to leave at a moment's notice... but normally I start cleaning and I'm all gung-ho, then 10 minutes later I'm exhausted. So I go sit down to rest and all I can think about is baby. lol Yea, I'm pretty useless these days. We really are down to a waiting game. 

I go back for another appointment next Thursday. Maybe we'll get some good news!

36 Week Check-Up

36 weeks

Heartbeat:??? <----- She didn't say, and I forgot to ask!

-1 lb <----- Woo hoo!!!

I went into this appointment ready to see if I was dilated at all, and possibly ready to go register at the hospital. I thought I started all those things at 36 weeks with Liv... but we did neither today. I was a little disappointed. I think it was just because the office was so busy this morning! 

She had a little trouble finding the heartbeat, which is why I don't know what the heart rate was this time. However, I wasn't concerned. Drew asked if that scared me when she couldn't find it... not at all. This baby is constantly moving so I knew there was no reason to worry. Dr. Watson said it was just tough to hear because of the way the baby was laying. The baby is still in the head down position though, praise the Lord!

I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions lately. Sometimes I'll have up to 4 or 5 in an hour, and sometimes they're very spread out. They're not painful but they certainly aren't unnoticeable. Sometimes I have to stop and just close my eyes for a little while. It gives me a little hope for going into labor on my own... Oh, I dream of the day! Ha!

33 Week Check-Up

33 weeks

Heartbeat: 160

+??? lbs 

Going into this appointment, we knew the baby had been hanging out in there completely sideways. So when Dr. Watson asked if we had any questions or concerns, I brought up the possibility of a C-section if the baby never turns. She said we wouldn't necessarily have to have a C-section. At 37 weeks, she would do an ultrasound to determine the position of the baby, placenta, cord, and all that good stuff. If everything looked fine, she would admit me to the hospital, hook me up to monitors, give me medication to relax my uterus, and physically turn the baby into a head down position. Then she would go ahead and induce me to avoid the risk of the baby moving back into a sideways position. 

All of that to say... the entire time she was telling me this, I just kept thinking 37 WEEKS??? That's only 3.5 weeks away and our baby only has 4 outfits! We're nowhere near ready for this!

Then she had me lie down so she could measure me. The first words out of her mouth were, "Well, there's the head right there. This baby is head down!"

Hallelujah!

Of course, the baby could move again but as for now it's in the correct position. 

I'm a little late updating this post, so now I'm technically 34, almost 35 weeks. We go back to the doctor on January 8th. Time is really flying by! There are days when I can't wait to meet this baby, and then there are days when I just want Olivia to be an only child a little longer. I hope that doesn't sound too terrible. I think every mom has those thoughts. I just know our world is about to change. Right now, we have a great routine going... Livy is sleeping all night, it's so easy to load her up and go anywhere, and she is terrific in public. We're about to enter back into the land of long nights, crying, diaper bags, pacifiers, spit up, poopy diapers, and finding private places to breastfeed in public (and I mean super private!)

But I'm so excited for it all! Olivia is going to be such a great help to me and I can't wait to love on another baby. Bring it on, February!

31 Week Check-Up

31 weeks

Heartbeat: 146

+4 lbs 

The plan was for me to go in at 30 weeks for a check-up, and then I'd go in every 2 weeks. But since that was Thanksgiving and my doctor was out of town, we had to push it back until December 6th.

I only gained 4lbs this month which is MUCH better than the 10 I gained last month! Ha!

We also found out the baby is completely sideways. She said I'm not measuring what I should be, but it's simply because the baby is not head down. She wasn't concerned about it and said there was still plenty of time for the baby to make his/her way downward. 

Also, the heart rate is continually dropping... It was 146 this time. All my friends who have had boys think I'm having a boy now. I gotta admit, it's fun to think about! Guess we'll see in about 7 weeks!

Update on the Baby's Room

I've slowly been working on the baby's room. It took me a while to get started. I had my eye on that fabric in Hobby Lobby for a long time, so I bought it a while back. At the time I was super excited about it and couldn't wait to get started on it. Then I let it sit there, and I started to doubt myself. Was this really what I wanted my baby's room to look like? But it was too late, I had already spent the money on that fabric, so there was no turning back.

 

I eventually drug my sewing machine out and started working on it. I did the bumper first. *Disclaimer: Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. So it's definitely not perfect, but as long as you don't look too closely, it'll work. I made the crib skirt next, and finally some pillows. I gotta say, I just guessed how much fabric I was going to need when I bought it, and it turned out to be just what I needed! 

I made some pillow cases for some old Pier1 pillows that I don't use anymore.

The initials (CEB) will go in the frame above the crib. When I bought them, Hobby Lobby didn't have a B in the store, so I'm waiting for it to be delivered... any day now!

I've still got quite a bit to do, but I absolutely love the way it's turning out. I'm so glad I didn't change my mind! I will admit though, it's looking a little more on the boyish side to me, but I figured it'll be a lot easier to "girl it up" if we need to, than the other way around. Oh, I can't wait to meet who we're bringing home!

27 Week Check-Up

27 weeks

Heartbeat: 150

+10 lbs <----- yikes!

 

So, yea... I gained 10 pounds this month. Dr. Watson didn't seem at all concerned. She said baby is growing well and I look great, so I'll try not to worry about it either. Technically, I lost weight in the beginning of this pregnancy, so I was due a few ten pounds, right?!

 

Not a lot has changed this month. The past couple days, I can't seem to keep my eyes open once the afternoon hits. I might or might not have fallen asleep. Ok, I did. This afternoon I kept waking up to Livy kissing my lips and saying,

 

"Aww, Mom... you're just a tired little girl aren't cha?"

 

She takes good care of me! ;)

 

I drank the yummy juice this morning so I could get my blood drawn for the glucose test. I should have those results back by Monday. Hopefully everything will look good there!

 

I go back on December 2nd, then every 2 weeks, and that means the countdown is on! For real!

 

Oh, and in some very exciting news for Mom and Dad, Livy has finally agreed that Charlotte and Cameron are pretty cool names after all. She was so set on Rapunzel/Eugene that she wouldn't even talk about any other names. I just kept telling her that Rapunzel was actually a princess name, and there was already a Rapunzel so we wouldn't be able to use that name. She eventually agreed. Woo hoo!

22 Week Check-Up

22 weeks

Heartbeat: 150

+5 lbs

I gained some weight this week, and the good news is I just now passed my pre-pregnancy weight. So overall I've only gained 4 lbs! Woo hoo! 

The baby's heart rate is steadily dropping... From 163, to 153, to 150... Makes me wonder if it may be a boy? I know they say there's no correlation between heart rate and determining the gender, but it seems like all my friends who have had boys usually have lower heart rates. Guess we'll wait and see! 

I'm still feeling pretty good. Baby is moving around pretty often. I had a good scare the other night though. I'm so used to feeling the baby move all throughout the day, so when Sunday night rolled around and I hadn't felt anything all day, I started to worry. I laid down flat, got really still, and waited for some movements but never felt anything. I had been super busy all day so I figured I just hadn't been still enough to feel anything. I knew everything was probably fine, but once you start thinking there could be something wrong, it's hard to shake those thoughts. When I got in bed that night, I just prayed for everything to be ok. During my prayer, I felt the slightest kick! I was so relieved. And ever since, the movements have been constant. Maybe the baby was just extra sleepy that day and needed a little more rest. 

Next time I go to my appointment, I'll be 27 weeks and I get to drink the juice for the glucose test. Hard to believe in less than a month I'll be in the 3rd trimester! I really need to get started on the nursery. So far I have the fabric for the bedding, and... That's about it. 

I can't wait to see that precious baby!

Party In My Belly

Today, one of my best friends found out she's having a boy! I had a feeling it would be a boy. Somehow, I always get these feelings about everyone else's children, but never have a clue as to what I'm having! With Olivia, I never had a "mother's intuition" of whether she was a boy or a girl... Until the ultrasound reveal. And it's the same way with #2. I have no idea!

But there's one thing I do know... This kid has got to be a future soccer player, kick boxer, or something that involves lots of foot movements. It's a nonstop party inside my belly. And I LOVE it!!! It's so fun! And reassuring... constantly feeling the movement of my baby. Last night, I pulled my shirt up and just watched my belly bounce around. So weird and funny!

I read somewhere that babies inside the womb sleep on average 12-14 hours a day. Either this baby is no average baby or it kicks while it's sleeping. Who knows? Either way... It's fabulous! By far, my favorite part of being pregnant!!!

 

Halfway There!

 OR

 

I am 20 weeks pregnant! And although I haven't gained any weight yet (I swear I'm not lying!) I look like I'm about to pop! Or at least I think I look that way. Somehow I'm still 3 pounds under my starting weight. I guess I can thank 16 weeks of being sick for that!? 

 

I can't believe I'm halfway there! I was telling my cousin the other day that the weeks are actually seeming to fly. It feels like it takes no time at all to check off another week that's gone by... but there's just so many weeks! That's ok though, I'm enjoying my time being pregnant.

 

Not knowing the gender of our baby hasn't really bothered me. Not totally anyway. I'll admit, it would be nice to call "it" by he or she. Like when the baby's rolling around, I could say, "Here she goes again... or... he sure is active today!" But I just keep picturing the moment when the baby is born and that anticipation of "What is it? What is it? A boy or a girl?!?!" That's what I'm holding out for. All my friends think I'm crazy and that's fine with me! Ha! Also, our baby will be rockin' some yellow and/or green footed pajamas because it seems that the world is convinced those are the only "gender neutral" colors.

 

I keep thinking about that little face and what he/she will look like! Is it Cameron Elliott in there? Or is it Charlotte Emily? Secretly, even if it's a boy, I sort of want to name him Charlotte just because I LOVE that name so much! I'd never really do that to my son... but I do love the name Charlotte. I guess it's just easier to picture myself with another girl because I've been down that road before. A boy is unchartered territory for me, which is a little scary.

 

I'm hoping cooler weather and all the holidays around the corner will help the time pass by even quicker. Just 20 weeks left... Can't wait to see our baby!

 



14 Week Check-Up

14 weeks

Heartbeat: 160

-4 lbs

We go back at 18 weeks on September 5th, and we'll get to see our growing baby! The last time we had an ultrasound, I was only 7 weeks along so our baby didn't really look like much more than a blob. So I can't wait to see the little face and fingers and toes! 

I was so excited Livy got to go with us today. I love letting her be part of the process. We talk about the baby all the time, but I know it's hard for her to really understand what all it means. I had told her before the appointment that we'd get to hear the baby's heartbeat. So when we heard the sweet little sound, Livy said,

"That sounds just like a barking dog!"

After our appointment today, we went to Arby's for lunch because I thought it sounded really good at the time. I took a few bites of my sandwich, ate some fries, and had to take off running for the bathroom! Thankfully, I made it just in time to throw up everything I had just eaten. 

Then once we got home, I started some laundry, planned out our grocery list (which is super hard when every recipe you look at makes you want to puke!), loaded and unloaded a truck full of groceries, and walked down the road with Liv so she could drive her new car. By the time I made supper and it was time to eat, I couldn't even bare to look at it. 

Dr. Watson said she wanted me to gain those 4 lbs back by my next appointment, but as long as my appetite stays like this I'm not sure I'll be able to do it!? 

On the bright side... I definitely look pregnant now! I love it! It's so much more fun getting dressed when you have a cute baby bump. I can't wait until I can feel the baby moving around. That was my favorite part about being pregnant with Olivia. It seems like time is really starting to fly by now... While I'm trying to enjoy this pregnancy, I cannot wait until February!

Sea Bands

Let me start off by saying how excited I am to be pregnant again. Everything about my pregnancy with Liv was wonderful (except for the occasional gagging during my morning showers). But seriously, I'm pretty sure I had an easy pregnancy with her. I basically felt great throughout the whole 9 months. We even joked the night I was going in to be induced, I still felt like I could walk a marathon and be completely fine.

August 4, 2010

So I sort of figured all of my pregnancies would be the same way...

Wrongo!!!

This one has been drastically different. I had some very strong symptoms before I even knew I was pregnant, and I found out really early... At 3.5 weeks! I should've known right away!

So let's discuss this whole "morning" sickness thing... Big fat lie! Some people say it strikes them at different times, but mine doesn't strike. It just never goes away. Thankfully, I just felt like I was going to be sick all the time, and I wasn't one of those who actually had to run to the toilet around the clock...

Until last weekend. I finally hit the 2nd trimester, the "safe zone", so I thought surely I'll begin to feel better, but it just got worse. On Saturday, literally all I did was sleep and throw up. I was miserable and not much better on Sunday. Then Monday came and I still felt terrible! 

I thought to myself, We have waited so long for this, and now I'm so sick I can't even enjoy it! What if it doesn't go away? What if I'm this sick until February? Poor Livy, she doesn't even understand why Mommy hasn't felt like playing with her in days! I'll just say its really difficult to be thankful for your own misery... even when you know how sweet and precious the instigator is! Ha!

By Monday evening I was willing to try anything! I had heard of Sea Bands from Michelle Duggar, of all people!? But I thought surely after 19 kids, those things must work so I went on the hunt! Our Walmart doesn't sell them, Walgreens does but they were out. Drew was sweet enough to bring some home from the El Dorado Walgreens. I put them on right away and I could immediately tell a difference. 

I wasn't sure if they were actually working or if it was all in my head. But I'm on day #3 now and I feel so much better! Don't get me wrong, there's still times when I don't feel exactly wonderful but that's to be expected. These bands have made my pregnancy so much more enjoyable.

They're not the most fashionable. I sort of feel like I'm geared up for my next game in the WNBA. But as long as I can go all day without getting sick, I'll wear them 'til the cows come home... Or until the baby comes. I'm sure we'll have the baby before we have any cows. :)

 

Big Announcement

We kept it a secret for what felt like an eternity! So when we finally spilled the beans on Facebook, it was a little weird! But now I'm so glad the news is out because I just love being able to talk about my new sweet precious little baby! I guess I'm kind of baby crazy right now... I have a ton of pregnancy apps on my phone and I'm constantly looking up more information about how the baby is developing. The miracle of how babies are formed just blows my mind!

I'm currently 12 weeks along, and I'm due on February 3rd! The morning anytime sickness has lingered pretty constantly but I'm hopeful that will subside in the upcoming weeks... fingers crossed! So far, this pregnancy has been the complete opposite of my experience with Olivia, so I'm a little anxious to see how the next several months will be... but I am so excited, thankful, happy, and overjoyed to have this opportunity to raise and love another little blessing!