Baby Deux - Weeks 18, 19, and 20

I really do suck as a pregnancy blogger, haha.  Especially since as I'm typing this I'm 21w3d.  Oops, it's my blog I'll do what I want to.

So yeah, two Thursdays ago I did something to my back.  At this point the doctors think I ruptured a disc in my lower spine but we can't do any imaging to properly diagnose it since I'm pregnant.

I'm in so.much.pain. I've spent the better part of the last 11 days in tears or on the verge of tears. I can't be upright (sitting or standing) for more than about a half hour before the pressure/pain in my lower back actually makes me start seeing stars and eventually start to black out.

I'm angry at my body for failing me.
I'm angry at my insurance for not covering chiropractic care. It was the only thing that made me feel any better last week but we don't have the money for me to keep going.
I'm angry at the bored house wives who were supposed to be my friends who have been talking behind my back accusing me of faking the injury for attention.
I'm angry at my husband's squadron for giving him crap about asking to take leave because apparently the jets he works on need him more than I do.
And most of all I'm angry at myself for not being able to take care of my toddler the way he deserves. Yesterday morning I was laying on the floor trying to play with him and he kept handing me toys and signing please, but I could barely move. I can barely pick him up. I might have to put him back in diapers even though he's doing so well potty training because he only likes to go on the big potty and I'm struggling to lift him up onto it as often as he needs to go.
Not to mention I hate the fact that I can't go a full day without taking any pain killers despite the fact that I know they aren't great for my unborn baby. I try so desperately to just suck it up, but there's only so much pain I can handle.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest I can talk about some of the more fun things that have been going on the past 3 weeks!

We have started clearing out our third bedroom!  We sold the large pieces of furniture and I've started figuring out where everything else (all my crafting stuff) will end up.  And we sold our old stroller (the Baby Jogger City Mini - which I loved, but only works for one kid) and bought a used Britax B-Ready which we can get a second seat for so W and BabyDeux can both ride in it.  The only problem with it was the previous kid had taken a bite out of the foam on the bar, so I sewed a "sleeve" for it out of The Sailor's uniform material and embroidered our last name on it.  I actually really like it, so I'm kinda glad the last kid chomped on it!

I also picked up some cute Dr. Seuss stuff from the cheapie section at Target to be used in the Nursery.  I'll probably cut out and frame the bags ($0.50 each) and use the plates as part of a DIY mobile ($2 each - they're holographic).

We had our anatomy scan and everything looks perfect.  BabyDeux is super active!!!

I got a men's shirt from Goodwill for $2.99 that I grad-dyed and am slightly obsessed with...

I sold one of my wraps to buy a wrap specifically for BabyDeux!  I've mentioned before that bamboo blends are super soft and great for newborns, so I bought Oscha Starry Night Midnight which is 70/30 cotton/bamboo.  I plan on grad dyeing it before he gets here, probably a deep blue.

And I finished my first big project for the nursery!  I plan on doing a post specifically for it, but here's a teaser for what it is with some pictures we took to celebrate hitting the halfway point with this pregnancy...

Me with my cane - yes, my back is so bad I need a cane to get around by the end of the day

Say hi to your baby brother, W!

Not much else to report...fingers crossed for me that my back starts getting better soon, ok?

Baby Deux - Weeks 16 and 17

In my excitement to announce that we found out Baby Deux is a boy, I completely forgot to do a weekly update!

Obviously we had another ultrasound last week since we found out we're having another little dude...

Pensive baby (he's holding a hand up to his chin/mouth)

 Look at that, there's a penis inside me...(I'm so mature, I know)

Yay for a strong beating heart!

So yeah, in case you couldn't tell by my little collage, I'm still not a fan of pregnancy!  Pregnancy acne has hit me full force, although it's a little different than with W.  With W I had a bunch of deep, cystic pimples that actually hurt my face.  This time they aren't as deep, but there's more of them.  A friend's husband sweetly said, "aww...you're glowing."  And I was like, "sorry dude, that's just acne."  ::whompwhomp::

My hair growing faster is awesome since I'm actually trying to grow it out (I chopped it off completely to a short pixie in October and got super bored with that in like February).  What isn't awesome is my hair has become so coarse that shaving my legs is physically painful.  At first I thought I just needed a new razor, but changing it didn't help at all.  I have to exfoliate my legs, shave with shaving cream (which I don't usually use), exfoliate again, and shave again just to have remotely smooth legs.  It's insane!  

And to top it off I have at least one intense headache a day lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours.  I also joke that this baby is mean because I get stabbing cramps that feel like he's stabbing me.  The OB I saw said that (along with the cervical pressure I was experiencing) is normal because I didn't give my uterus time to completely heal after having W...I think she's a crackhead because I've never heard that before!  Either way, it isn't pleasant.

The only thing I'm enjoying about being pregnant this time around is planning the nursery.  It's going to be a-maz-ing!!!  That and super sweet moments with W like when he's nursing in bed in the morning and he just starts rubbing my little baby bump, which he never did before...

Here's to hoping I catch some of that second trimester energy soon!!!

In all three of these pictures I'm wearing the pregnancy jeans I made..

Baby Deux - 13 Weeks!

We had our first trimester nuchal translucency scan this week (you can read more what it is here)!  Everything looks wonderful and we screened negative for chromosomal abnormalities.  Screening negative doesn't mean there 100% won't be an issue, but the genetic counselor described it as a 1 in 10,000 chance but if we wanted to be positive we'd have to have an invasive procedure done.  Since the chance is so low, we're choosing to end testing there.

High five!

 This was the only profile view picture we got, baby insisted on staring at the ultrasound machine the rest of the time.

 Scary skeleton face!

Apart from that my pregnancy acne is here full force, ugh.  It's horrible.  I hate it.  I just want to peel the skin of my face off and scrub it all away then put my face back on (lovely, right?).  And I've gotten a few really intense headaches.  I've never been one to get migraines, but when people describe them, this is what I think they're describing.  It is possible to get hormone induced migraines when you're pregnant, but we're just gonna keep our fingers crossed that these suckers ease up sooner rather then later because I have a toddler to chase.  And my ears have been popping a lot.  When I was pregnant with W I had some issues with my ears and my hearing that cleared up after he was born.  Looks like I might be temporarily losing some of my hearing again.  (What?  hahaha, couldn't help myself)

And that's really it.  Sorry my updates are super boring!  But check out the bump I'm rocking already...

 We take my weekly picture on the landing in the middle of our stairs, I thought I'd try having The Sailor take some from a higher angle to see if they're more flattering or if I looked smaller.  I'm pretty sure I look the same from all angles, hahaha.

Pregnancy Week 12 (and Ultrasound Pictures)

I feel great (minus missing my hubby)! Seriously, if it weren't for the little cold I have, I think I would feel better than I usually do when I'm not pregnant!

I think I'm finally looking more pregnant, less fat, but I'm still waiting for my belly to pop. But my acne is still horrendous. So, yesterday I called the OB to discuss using Proactiv. Some say its fine to use, others are really concerned about it. My doctor wasn't concerned, especially since I'm done with my first trimester. So, I picked some up (at one of those automated mall kiosks) yesterday, and I'm praying it'll help. It's gotten to the point where my face actually hurts. So not only am I ugly, I'm in pain. Totally not cool, hormones!

I'm getting really gassy, too. It's probably a good thing The Sailor isn't here, lol. And I can be fine one minute, then so hungry I feel like I'm gonna pass out the next. It's annoying; I have to carry snacks with me.

So, onto my NT scan. Apart from literally having to wait an hour and a half, it went really well! Apparently if whatever they're measuring in the back of the baby's neck is wider than 3mm it causes concern; our little Sea Monkey's neck thingy was barely over 1mm. So that along with blood tests I got at my last OB appointment means we have screened negative for a handful of chromosomal abnormalities. This does not mean it is impossible, but its just a lot less likely. Add that to the whole "healthy 23 year old" thing and I don't feel the need to do any further (and much more invasive) procedures.

The ultrasound itself was amazing, too. Since this office has a much stronger machine, everything was so clear. The Sea Monkey didn't put on that much of a performance, (s)he did have a few hicups, which was flipping adorable. (S)he also kept bringing their hand up to their face (quite quickly) so in the pictures it looks like they're sucking their thumb.

The ultrasound person tried to figure out the sex of the Sea Monkey, but from one angle it looked like a boy, from another it looked like a girl. She tried to get the little sucker to roll over but apparently my Sea Monkey didn't want to...I almost asked if it would help if I did a handstand or something, but I thought that would be weird, lol. Instead I just called my baby a jerk for the first time (hahaha) and accepted the fact I'd have to wait to find out what we're having.

Oh, and apparently I'm really good at growing babies. So, last ultrasound the Sea Monkey measured at being due on April 6. This time, two weeks later, the Sea Monkey measured at being due April 5!!! If my oven (aka baby-growing-system) keeps this up, we'll be greeted by our lovely Sea Monkey well in March!

* I am fully aware this is not how gestation works. I just find it amusing, and I sorta wish that was how it worked, lol *

I guess that office does the official anatomy scan, so I'll be going back in early November for that. I also have another appointment with my normal OB in two weeks, and although I doubt I'll get an ultrasound at that appointment, a girl can have dreams, right?

Until next time...

PS - the ultrasound picture where the Sea Monkey is looking straight at you is totally creepy looking...but it doesn't compare to the 3D picture they took - which I'm not sharing with you cuz it'll probably give you nightmares. Seriously people, 3D Ultrasounds should not be performed at merely 12 weeks, because the baby is still waaaaay too alien-esque. 

10 Weeks Pregnant!

...and I had my first ultrasound today! And my little Sea Monkey is perfect!!!

But first, the usual...

Physically, I think (aka hope) my skin is starting to clear up! And I'm hoping once we get out of the stinky-water apartment it'll get even better! And I'm starting to get kinda gassy. Mainly burping a lot, but just gassy in general

And mentally, I feel so flipping relieved! Cuz like I said, my little Sea Monkey is in tip top shape. But, I should start at the beginning...

I heard if you drink a lot it'll make it easier to see the little sucker during the earlier ultrasounds. So I was sucking down water like no ones business. And, I didn't want the little guy to be sleepy, so I had The Sailor stop at McDonald's so I could get an apple pie to give the Sea Monkey a sugar boost.

When we got there I found out they wanted to do a full annual exam. It was a little awkward to have The Sailor in the room while I had a pap done, but hell, he's gonna watch me push a baby out my hooha, this is a good place to start, lol.

Then it was finally time for my long awaited ultrasound. Since I'm only 10 weeks and some change, they did the hooha probe instead of the belly version. Whatevs, just show me my baby.

The Doc starts poking around and every time she gets a clear view of my little love, (s)he starts doing flips. And karate chops. And funny faces. Ok, I can't say with certainty that (s)he was making, funny faces, but in my mind (s)he was... One of three this was happening...option a) the little Sea Monkey had a sugar high from my pre-appointment snacks. Option b) ultrasound turns on and the Sea Monkey said something like this "mleh...what's that noise. Get away from me...I don't like that noise." And finally, option c (aka the most likely scenario since the little sucker is currently living in my uterus) ultrasound machine turns on and the Sea Monkey says something like this "what's that noise? Is someone watching me in here? Look what I can do :: back flip :: look what I can do :: karate chop :: hehehe...look at me :: funny face ::"

Okay, so the third option isn't that likely, but that's what I started thinking about while (s)he put on a show. And I started cracking up. Straight up laughing like a moron while the Doc is twisting a probe around in my hooha trying to get a good shot of the fetus.

When I finally got all my giggles out, the Sea Monkey calmed down, and we finally got a clear shot to date the pregnancy with.

So, Doc does her measurements and asks how sure I am of how far along I am. I said I'm 99% sure I could pinpoint the hour we conceived. And she asks how far I thought I was - I told her....10 weeks 4 days. She asked when I thought I was due - I told her...April 6th.

And she said I was exactly right. That's right, this baby and I are totally on the same wavelength. I hear/read about women who charted and knew exactly when they conceived, but the baby still measures at having a different due date. That doesn't sit well with me. This baby and I are totally gonna get along if (s)he keeps this up, lol!

So, the baby is healthy as can be (with a heart rate of 174 bpm), there's only one in there, and it looks like (s)he loves staying on schedule as much as I do! I couldn't be a happier Mama!

So, I've got a healthy baby, my first real shift at Michael's tomorrow, and we pick up the keys to our house on base on Thursday! Life is good.

Until next time...