38 weeks

Tueday I was 38 weeks which means the baby could come at anytime. We have the hospital bag packed and it is funny to think back to the bag we had for Micah's birth. It was probably at least twice the size we have packed now. I guess by the third time we have learned what we actually need and use while at the hospital. Though we have also learned that there will always be something different and something we weren't expecting.

At 38 weeks of a pregnancy that has been harder then the other two (though still easy compared to some) I am wondering if this baby boy will come early unlike the other two who were late. I have tried to by ready with all the practical necessesities for awhile knowing full well there will always be some project I wanted to complete that I didn't get to. At this point most the projects are ones that are sitting down which is good because at this point I can't be on my feet long. Thankfully for the most part I am still sleeping well. I'm usually just up once for the bathroom. I have had some insomina once back in bed, just wide awake unable to get back to sleep. Most nights I just stay in bed, one night I did take advange of the time and was up sewing in the middle of the night. Haha.

I am going to the doctor once a week and everything is looking good. This week I measuredat 38cm, last week was 39cm. The baby is definitely moving around and effecting those measurements a bit. He has dropped lower but not quite all the way down. My blood pressure is still great and the baby's heart rate is where it should be. At this point I have gained about 26 pounds. The next appointment is in a couple days and I always look forward to hearing the baby's heart and hearing him move around. I certainly feel him move!

34 Weeks

Week 34 and I am definitely feeling pregnant now. Everything is much harder to do. My energy level is decreasing too,  mainly because it takes so much energy to accomplish anything. Nesting has certainly begun, I've been anxious to get all the baby things ready and making a variety of things for the baby. As well as preparing the house and completing projects before the arrival. At my doctor's appointment I was measuring at 35cm and have gained about 24 pounds. The baby was doing well, he was moving around so his heart rate was at 155. I will go back in two weeks and then will be in every week. We are nearing the end, which is so crazy.

30 Weeks

Week 30 is here (now week 31). Even though it isn't officially a milestone other then now I go to the doctor every two weeks, I always feel like I have reached some sort of benchmark. I am still feeling pretty good. Sleeping is getting more uncomfortable but I haven't had to consistently get up to use the bathroom during that night, which is so nice. I am still experiencing SI joint pain, but it is manageable and a blessing that the really painful days are few and far between. Praying that that continues. Everything was still looking good at my doctor appointment. My weight gain seems to be about the same so far as the other kids, I've gained 23 pounds. Though I was measuring a little bigger, I measured at 32cm, typically you measure in centimeters as you are in weeks. Nothing of concern at this point. I am starting to feel limits in what I can do now because of my size and energy. But I try not to use being pregnant as an excuse to not do things and remain active. And speaking of active this boy seems to be pretty active, especially in the evenings. He moves around a lot and not just kicking but the arms and head or perhaps it is his hands up by his face. Either way I will feel him moving all around. It can be uncomfortable at times but it does make me look forward to seeing those movements when he arrives. 

40 and a Half Weeks

 

Well we have made it past 40 weeks now, and that half a week certainly impacts me. Overall I am doing good but I definitely have those times of being very uncomfortable. My activity level is lower, it is hard and uncomfortable (sometime painful) to move around. I am looking forward to having energy back and the ability to move easier.

Yesterday I had a doctors appointment and I'm still doing good. I have gained a bit more weight and my blood pressure it still great (thanks to some great genes). I measured at 42cm because the baby is up a bit higher and not dropped down as low in the pelvis like she usually would at this point. That is neither a good or bad thing, I think she has been moving up and down some all along. I am 3cm dilated and 50% effaced, last week I was 2cm and also 50% effaced. So some progress but not much. I will be going into the hospital on Monday for monitoring to make sure everything looks good to continue to wait. The Farmer and I are not big proponents of inducing so we would rather wait for when I go into labor on my own. There does come a point when we would need to be concerned about the health of the placenta. But I am praying we will be having a baby soon and we won't even need to go to the hospital on Monday. We totally trust God's timing and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little girl.

As usual here is the comparison.

This Moment

Soaking up and treasuring these moments

 this energy

 this wonder

 this love of trucks

 these expressions

 this time

 

 this boy and me

these two together

 even these times

 this exuberance

 this play

 this sweet boy

 this love of outside

 this excitement in the little things

 this love

 this smile

this laugher

38 Weeks

Phew! Now at 38 weeks I am really feeling it. I have been walking with a friend a couple times a week and it is getting slower and harder. Hopefully she doesn't mind. But even just moving around about my day is hard. I feel bad for the lack of energy and ability to move and play with Micah now. I have to keep remembering that I will be back to "normal" soon. And soon is, well, coming soon. Two weeks from the due date! (less then that now) I can't believe we have reached this point already!! Ready or not she is coming. Though there are many things I still would like to get done I am excited to meet our little girl.

I was thinking the other night about being prepared. I don't think there is ever a way to fully be prepared for a baby. But I question should I even been? Where would my moment by moment, day by day need for the Lord be then? He is the one who prepares me and equips me. I can try with all my humanly effort to get ready to welcome a new life to this world, though I will not succeed, I will still stumble in many ways when she is here. The way to be prepared then would be ready to trust and lean on God for the strength, wisdom and endurance needed. I pray that I will ready in that way when He chooses to to bring our daughter into the world.

As for the doctor report, everything looks good. Blood pressure is great, baby's heart rate is where it should be, I measured at 39cm and I have gained about 30 pounds. I am definitely feeling those 30 pounds in my hips and back. Below is the comparison to 38 weeks with Micah.
 

36 Weeks

Less then a month to go. Wow! We are getting very close to having our second child. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time. Excited to meet her and apprehensive knowing the work and sleep I will lose.

I am certainly feeling like my growth has slowed down a bit. Which is okay because I still feel huge and it is still hard to get up from sitting and get out of bed. I had a doctor appointment earlier this week and I have gained about 26 pounds (with Micah I was at 28) and I measured at 34cm (typically it would be around 36). The doctor wasn't concerned because some of it could be who is doing the measuring. The past few appointments I have been seeing the other doctors in the office in case they are the ones to deliver, so we will see next week when I am back with my doctor.

The little lady is moving around. It seems she is in a similar position Micah was, head down on her side with her legs toward my left. She has had hiccups a couple times which is always funny. Her movements do seem to have slowed down as her space is getting smaller. Braxton Hicks contractions have started up, sometimes has many as three in an hour. Which is not a concern, if I get more around five an hour and they cause me to have to stop what I am doing then we might need to call the doctor. So now it is just finishing up a few details and waiting for her arrival.

Micah week 35, now, Micah week 37

Creating for a Girl

I realized now that I am almost 36 weeks along I haven't posted anything about what I have for the little lady. Well I have been busy crafting and sewing. So here are some pictures of what I have been making.

These are all the flowers I have made (so far). I know I will make more, I already have the itch to make a crochet flower. Notice the beaver orange, she will be wearing that this season. :)

Usually for flower headbands each flower has its own band it is attached to. To me that seemed a waste and what if I wanted that particular flower on a different band. So I designed away to clip the flowers onto different bands. That also means the flowers can be used later when she has hair to clip back. It is hard to tell the colors in the picture but there is one black and the others are white and pink.

 Of course you can't forget about the hats. Which I'm actually surprised I haven't made more. But I usually don't really get going on crocheting until the weather gets cooler. The really long hat is for newborn pictures.

This is one of the pieces of art for the room (it is watercolor) and I still need to get it framed. I also have plans to paint a Bible verse on some wood for another open space on the wall.

These are the colors I used for the little lady's blanket. My Mom was great and came up last week to help make the blanket and curtains for the room. We whipped out the blanket in about two days. I forgot to get a picture of it before I packed it in the hospital bag, but I am happy with how it turned out. A few days ago I finished up all the sewing I needed to get done before she comes.

Not too many more big projects to complete before this girl comes, still many things I want to get done or at least work on. But at four weeks away I am starting to feel more ready, though maybe not emotionally ready for a baby and a toddler. That is a whole different post.

33 Weeks

 

The weeks just keep going by. I am definitely not ready for this little lady to come yet. So hopefully she will take her time. Now come week 39 and 40 I will probably regret saying that. Last week I had a doctors appointment (I now go in every two weeks). Things still look good, I've gained about 26 pounds now. I measured at 33cm, at that point I was about 32 and half weeks. So I am no longer measuring two weeks bigger. Yay! I was hoping the growing was going to slow down. The baby's heart rate was about 130 so still within the acceptable range but on the lower side. Micah's heart rate was also on the lower end.

I am starting to get more Braxton Hicks contractions some more uncomfortable then others. She also seems to be pushing down more. We are getting closer. But again so not ready for her to be here. I'm not ready emotionally, physically, or even practically. I still have a number for baby things to get ready and a few other to-dos I want to get done before she is here. I'm also not ready with Micah, there are still aspects of his behavior I want to improve before she arrives, knowing his behavior will likely regress a bit once she is here. I'm also not ready to divide my time with him. And I'm just plain not ready for two kids. But I trust God's timing for when she does arrive. So even if I don't have everything on my list checked off it will be okay and everything will work out.

Comparison pictures: Micah 32 weeks, now 33 weeks and Micah 34 weeks.

30 Weeks

Eeek can I really be at 30 weeks already!?! It seems to be going by quick. Which is a bit overwhelming since I still have so much I want and need to get done before this little lady arrives. The biggest thing to get ready is the room. I know she will be with us in our room for awhile but I still would like to have it all ready before she comes. Because honestly with a toddler, a newborn, and severely sleep deprived I am not going to have time or energy to finish making anything.

I am still enjoying being pregnant. I am blessed that my pregnancies are relatively easy (so far). This time around I am getting some veracious veins and spider veins mainly in my left leg. Thankfully they haven't been too painfu.

This girl does like to move. She is more active then Micah was and she has definitely found my organs, particularly my bladder sooner then Micah. As she gets bigger and her space gets more cramped if she keeps up this amount of movement I am going to be quite uncomfortable and never far from a bathroom. :)

I had a doctor appointment earlier this week. Things still looking good. My blood pressure is still great. Baby's heart rate was 135 which is good. And the biggest news of all I've gained about 24 pounds, yikes! Last time at 29 weeks I had gained 20 pounds.

Here is the comparison.
Micah at 29 weeks. Now at 30 weeks. Micah at 32 weeks.

25 Weeks

Week 25, we are moving quite along. I might be 25 weeks but I bend over and waddle around like I'm 30 weeks along. This could be a long summer.

I had a check up last week and I am measuring big so far. Typically you measure the same number in centimeters as you are weeks, so I should have measured at 24cm. Well I was 26cm. Which two centimeters doesn't seem like a lot but looking at the pictures I am most definitely bigger. Whether that means this little lady is going to be bigger or I'm just doing growing earlier we will wait and see. I have gained about 18 pounds which last time at 25 weeks I had gained 13 pounds. Yikes that is quite a bit more. Oh well I don't feel pudgy.

This little lady moves around quite a bit, more the Micah I think. There have been times she moves my tummy. And it seems she has found my bladder to be a good punching/kicking bag. Not looking forward to that as she gets bigger. A bathroom must never be too far a way. Over all I feel pretty good, just tired. So far with these two pregnancies I have been pretty blessed to have minimal symptoms. Hopefully it will stay that way.

Here is the comparison photo, left is Micah, right is the little lady.

Micah and I

Micah right now is really enjoying having someone play with him. He will come over grab your hand and pull you over to where he wants you. This evening we were sitting together first playing with this toy I made from an old puff container and pipe cleaners. Great for his fine motor development. Look at his concentration trying to get it into the holes punched in the lid.

 

Then we picked up this crocheted monster I made for his birthday. (no I don't make that many toys for him, who has that kind of time). He thought is was funny "clapping" the hands together.

These pictures are from a few weeks ago, but look at the my belly! There really is a baby growing, and if you could see me now you would definitely know. With another baby on the way it makes me treasure this time I get to sit and play with Micah. It has been him and me  for over a year and half and within months it will no longer be that way. I'm never good with big changes like this. I know it will be great and Micah will love having a sister. But how different it is going to be for all of us. Again I know it is going to a wonderful different and over time I will have a hard time remembering what it was like without this little lady. Before that time I will soak up these days with just Micah and me.

20 Weeks

 

Half way!! Can't believe we are at that point already. Of course the most awkward and uncomfortable parts for me is still yet to come. At my doctor appointment last week things were looking as they should be, I was measuring at 19cm and I've gained about 13 pounds so far. I hadn't really felt the baby move yet. I had been feeling some things but it wasn't the type of feeling or movement I was expecting so I assumed it wasn't the baby. I was expecting to be feeling small flutters. Turns out this baby is a big mover. During the ultrasound I was seeing the baby move and realizing that those movements had actually been the baby. So I have been feeling the baby for weeks. And the biggest news is we also found out we are having a girl!!! Woohoo let the crafting begin. (Actually I just finished her first hat). After the appointment we had to go and buy a pink outfit. Isn't it cute!?!

I liked the comparison picture I put up last time so here is me at 20 weeks now and 21 weeks with Micah. I definitely am carrying differently already. I think this time I'm "sticking" out much more. Oh and the belly button is starting to pop. I have also made the transition to maternity clothes for the good and bad.

Week 16

I'm 16 weeks along now. Still don't feel that pregnant. Things have been going well. During the first trimester I was experiencing some nausea, which was different because I didn't really have any with Micah. Some might take that to mean we're having a girl, but I'm not sure. We will find out May 8th. This is about the time that I felt Micah move. But I haven't felt this baby move yet I think it is more due to the fact that I forget to pay attention to any flutters.

It is fun to see the belly growing more. I've gained about seven pounds so far, which puts me about the same amount as will Micah at this point. Over all I have been feeling really well, no more nausea and most of my energy back. Just got to make sure I get enough sleep if that is ever possible.

For fun here is a side by side comparison. On the left is Micah at 17 weeks and the right is now at 16 weeks.