13 weeks

We're home from vacation and back to the daily grind. :(  We had a great time in Florida and I'm so happy we went.  Olivia had so much fun swimming in the ocean and in the pool.  That kid is like a fish, I swear! 

I felt pretty good while we were down there too.  My morning sickness has pretty much evaporated and the exhaustion is much better as well.  That stupid cold is still lingering and was annoying while we were away but it was better than dealing with m/s.

Today marks 13 weeks 4 days and in my book that puts me in the second trimester.  Hooray!  I have an appointment tonight and they will be handing me a sealed envelope with the sex of the baby in it.  I guess Brad and I have some talking to do so that we can figure out if or when we should open it.

Here's this week's stats:

How far along?
13 weeks 4 days

How are you feeling? 
 I think the morning sickness is gone for the most part.  I still have had a couple of moments here and there during the last week where I haven't felt very good, but its sooo much better.  There's actually somewhat of a new twist.  I haven't been very hungry since the sickness has gone away.  Like, I don't really feel like eating much at all throughout the day.  I still make sure that I'm eating and getting enough, but it's so weird.  I wonder if it has something to do with this cold?

The exhaustion is also much better, although there are still nights like last night were I feel completely out of energy by 7 pm.

I've been getting cramps on and off in my lower abdomen.  Nothing that is concerning, just growing pains I'm sure.  And while my stomach hasn't really grown all that much, it has already started to become itchy.  I thought it was rather early for this so who knows.  I've been putting on cocoa butter just like last time in case that helped prevent me from getting stretch marks.  If I can make it out of this pregnancy with no stretch marks I will seriously be so happy!

Cravings? 
Being that I'm not hungry, there's nothing that I'm craving lately. 

What are you missing?
 Nada

Maternity Clothes?
Nope, not yet.  I've got a couple of pairs of dress pants that are a size up from what I was wearing, so I'm working on wearing those right now.  I'm hoping I've got another 2-3 weeks until I have to make the switch to maternity dress pants.  I finally found a fantastic pair from the Gap that I love and will be happy to wear when the time comes, so that makes me feel a little better.  I think I really need to make some time very soon to get some more pants and maybe some shirts so that I've got them when the time comes.

What are you looking forward to? Continuing to feel better.  And maybe finding out the sex.  We'll see about the later.

Something you're loving about being pregnant?
I get to chose where we eat. :)

Weight Gain/Loss
+2 lbs.  Last week's 1 lb loss rebounded back to the 2 lb gain.  I'm sure I'll start seeing the scale go up though.  It's time to probably start gaining about a pound/week.

 

Here are some pics from vacation with a 13 week bump shot.

12 weeks

I know I'm technically not out of first tri yet, but I'm celebrating and out with my news!  It feels good that it's not a secret anymore.  Although the majority of my co-workers don't know, that will not last long with this bump that has really seemed to pop the last few days.  While I've thought for a while that I had a bump in the evenings, it's still there when I wake up in the morning now....yay!

Since about Thursday of last week, my all day sickness has started to wane.  I still definitely have little bouts here and there at different times during the day but I'm getting a glimpse at what it feels like to be normal again.  Thank goodness! 

In other news, I seem to have caught a cold.  Not cool.  Especially since we leave for vacation tomorrow.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is really short-lived and that when I wake up tomorrow morning (day 4 of the cold), I'll be getting better.  It's funny, its like I swapped the m/s sickness for a cold instead.  Not being able to take anything for my super sore throat and this runny nose is irritating to say the least.  I have gotten very little sleep the last 3 nights.  I feel like I could just fall over right now.  Maybe a nap at lunch is in order?  :)   

I'm going to need some more energy to get me through this day. I have to work late tonight and then finish packing (which is taking forever, btw) and getting the house ready tonight before bed.  Oh, and it would be great if I could somehow magically get to bed earlier that usual also because I have to come into work tomorrow by 5 am so that I can wrap up my payroll activities and be done and leaving the office by 10 at the latest.  I'm going to be soooo tired!  But hey, I'll be sleeping on the plane from the drammamine.  Either way, vacation starts tomorrow and I'll get a chance to sleep then, so I'm fine going without for a few days I guess.

Here's this week's official update.

How far along?
12 weeks 2 days

How are you feeling? 
The morning sickness seems to be going away.  If I can get through this week feeling this good, I'll be so very happy.  It's nice to feel somewhat normal again.  I'm eating less the last 4 or 5 days too.  I think because I'm not sick 24/7 I don't feel the need to be constantly munching on carbs and other terrible things for my body.  I actually lost a pound this weekend.  Could be a fluke or could be from eating less in general and less of the foods that don't have much nutritional value.

Exhaustion is still hanging on but might be getting better.  I'm not sure.  It's so hard to tell since I've been getting  terrible sleep for the last 3 nights in a row.

Cravings? 
Nothing right now really.  Maybe cereal if I had to pick something.  It's not so much of a craving, but more like a go-to when I want to eat. 

What are you missing?
 Not a whole lot right now.  I could go for some more sleep these days, that's for sure.

Maternity Clothes?
Still not wearing anything maternity.  I'm pretty sure that I will be breaking out the maternity dress pants next week.  Things are getting snug.  I only have to work 2 days this week so I'll get by with my regular pants at work today and tomorrow.  Shirts will still be a while but I probably need to get serious about finding some new tops for work. 

What are you looking forward to? 
Vacation tomorrow!!!  Oh, and some sleep.  Sleep would be wonderful!

Something you're loving about being pregnant?It's fun to watch the little baby bump grow.

Weight Gain/Loss
+1 lb.  I lost a pound this weekend.  Something tells me that I'm due to gain a couple of pounds here shortly.

** I realize that I haven't posted any bump pics yet.  Maybe next week I'll post something.  Stay tuned!

11 week update

Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.  That's this week's theme. 

I am soooo hoping that I start to feel a little better soon.  I haven't had a decent day in a couple of weeks and I swear the nausea is worse now (since about 9 1/2 weeks) than before.  WTH?  We leave for vacation next Tuesday and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this "I'm going to vomit at any second" feeling starts to subside by then.  I thought the fatigue was getting better, but that was a fluke.  It has been worse for the last 4 or 5 days as well.  I started feeling better almost exactly at 12 weeks last time, so lets hope that I follow the same pattern this go around.  That would mean that by Saturday I could have some relief.  Oh, I would be so very happy for that! 

Even though I'm incredibly thankful for this pregnancy, its so hard to not vent sometimes when you feel like garbage 24/7...its not fun. I'm ready for the awesome part of pregnancy that I remember from last time: having enough energy to work out sometimes, feeling this baby move, looking like I'm pregnant and not chubby, and most of all not having a stomach ache.

I have another doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon.  If everything goes well, we'll be ready to be open with our news to the world this Saturday when I hit 12 weeks.  I guess anytime after the appointment, really.

How far along?11 weeks 2 days

How are you feeling? 
Still battling the nausea and fatigue but keeping the hope alive that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Pregnancy sciatica is back.  So far it just affects my left side and it's usually in the evenings after I've been active.  I tried stretching and that seems to help for a few minutes but that's about it. 

My skin is getting weird too.  I got little bumps on my thighs and upper arms.  I started using a little more lotion hoping that it will make them go away.  Also, when I'm out in the sun my face gets little brown spots on it afterward.  They seem to fade over the next couple of day but it's odd.

Cravings? 
Not really craving sweets.  It's more a feeling of knowing that sweets won't make me feel pukey.  I really want to eat healthy again but I just can't.  When I try to entertain the thought of fruits and vegetables, most of the time my tummy tells me no.

What are you missing?
I don't remember what it feels like to not be sick to my stomach.  I haven't really missed alcohol except for one hot day when I was outside with the hubby and after having a taste of his beer, I REALLY wanted one of my own.

Maternity Clothes?
 I'm still hanging on to my regular work pants at the moment.  There is one pair that I retired last week and I'm thinking the rest will not fit after next week.  Although I do have some pants that are a size too big that I may try to get away with for a little while as well.  I ordered some maternity pants from Gap and Old Navy.  Some were too big and the one's I was most excited for, well, they sent me the wrong pants.  I have to exchange them.  :(  My regular jeans should still fit for a while.  They're pretty stretchy and lower waisted than my dress pants.

What are you looking forward to? 
Tomorrow's appointment.  It's a relief to hear the heartbeat and I'm anxiously awaiting that moment. 

I'm also looking forward to vacation next week.  I can't wait to bring Livi to the ocean and relax.

Something you're loving about being pregnant?
 Brad has stepped up with helping around the house more now.  It's nice not having all those chores hanging over my head when I feel like crap.  Even though my bump isn't very big I like looking at it, haha.  That seems kind of weird maybe but it really helps me connect to the pregnancy and see my body start to transform and knowing there is a sweet little baby growing in there.  :)

Weight Gain/Loss
Up 2 lbs so far.  Some days I think it's closer to 3 lbs.  I was up 2lbs at my 9 week appointment, so that means that I haven't gained in 2 weeks.  I'm thinking the scale should be changing here soon.  Trying not to obsess about weight although it would be easier if I knew I was eating healthy.

9 week update

Today marks 9 weeks 4 days.  So far, everything has been going great.  Although m/s is kicking my butt, it doesn't feel as intense the last 4-5 days and for that I'm thankful! 

I had my first OB appt yesterday at a new practice.  I decided that I wanted to make a change from the doctor I used last pregnancy.  I wasn't fond of the bedside manner of my last doctor and I'm glad I made the decision to switch.  While this new practice has 3 doctors and I'm not guaranteed that the doctor I've chosen as my OB will actually deliver me, it's already going well.  I really, really like this new doctor.  She has a wonderful bedside manner and made me feel very comfortable.  She did a full exam and told me that my uterus felt like a perfect 9-10 week uterus.  A little TMI, but that's the norm for me.  We listened to the heartbeat on the doppler.  It took a couple of minutes to find it but when she did it was amazing.  It's so hard to describe the feeling that you get when you hear your baby's heart beating away.  This little peanut had a heart rate of 160....much higher than Olivia's average which was around 140.  Maybe a boy this time around???

She's letting me come in for another appointment in 2 weeks so that I can hear the heartbeat again, just to lessen my fears.  Just the fact that she is allowing that is a big step up from the last doctor. 

I also chose to get my bloodwork done at that appointment.  I scheduled the genetic screening for that date as well but I'm not 100% sure if we'll be doing it or not.  The doctor told me that part of the screening will tell you the sex of the baby.  What!?!?!?!?  That was not part of it when I had Olivia.  Apparently technology has advanced quite a bit in the last 3 years.  :)

Here's this week's official update:

How far along?
9 weeks 4 days

How are you feeling? 
Pretty crappy the majority of every day.  I haven't actually vomited, but I feel like I might as well.  There's some on and off cramping/lower back pain the last couple of weeks.  Fatigue is still prevalent but I think it's a little better. 

Cravings? 
Sweets most of the time.  Maybe it'll change to fruits and vegetables??? 

What are you missing?
Not feeling like I have the stomach flu 24/7.  I can't wait for this part to be over.  Other than that, I'm not really missing much.

Maternity Clothes?
Not yet, but I need to invest in some work pants, stat.  Everything I wear for work is getting much too tight.  I think I look the way I did last time at 12-13 weeks.  There's definitely some truth to showing sooner the second time around.

What are you looking forward to?
My next appt is in 2 weeks. If everything goes well then, we'll probably be public with the news by that weekend when I officially hit 12 weeks.  I'm not sure if there will be a facebook announcement or not.  We didn't do one last time and I think I'm okay with skipping it this time around too.

Something you're loving about being pregnant?
Right now the symptoms are no fun, but just knowing that there's a baby in there growing, gives such a magical feeling.  I can't wait until I'm showing a little more and can be open about being pregnant rather than trying to hide my little bump with loose shirts. 

I'm baaack!

I think I want to try to revive this lonely old blog.  For the last few months I've been toying with the idea and I think I'm ready to give it a real shot. 

A lot has happened since my last post some 2 years ago.  I now have a 2 year old little girl whom I love and adore more each day.  Life is great with her in it and we have so much fun!

We started trying for #2 pretty much immediately after my period returned in December of 2013.  Brad and I were hoping that we would be one of those lucky couples that would be fixed after going through infertility treatments for our first child.  Maybe my body had "reset itself" and I would get pregnant the old fashioned way?  Well, not so much luck on that front.  By November of 2014, we were back at Dr. Springer's office to talk about what he recommended and where we would like to go with treatment....Straight to IVF since the other options did not work for us last time.

So, we geared up to cycle for January.  Our original plan was to use the 2 embryos we had on ice from the last cycle we did in 2012.  Long story short, those were anticipated to not survive the thaw. This was not what we wanted to hear.  The doctor wanted us to do a fresh cycle.  We would still thaw the older embryos before the transfer, but this way we would have some fresh embies to choose from if those older ones were in fact, no good.  We got to the transfer and were made aware that our frozen embryos did not make it but that we had 2 good embryos from this cycle that we could transfer back.  Fast forward to the day of my blood test- my hcg was 19 and I was spotting.  When they rechecked me 3 days later, my hcg was 7.  It was over. 

Brad and I collected ourselves and immediately decided that we would try again in March.  My insurance coverage for IVF ran out as of April 1st, so this was our last hoorah.  I threw myself into acupuncture again, started doing yoga, running, and meditating.  Not sure how I had time for all these things in my hectic life, but I managed to do them and not get too stressed out. 

We did a day-2 transfer this time around because of my ridiculous work schedule and put 2 back, just like before.  On April 13th, I got the call at 2:28 pm.  Hcg was 320!  OMG, it worked!  Two days later it came back at 960.  It was really happening.  Oh, soooo happy!  Both of our ultrasounds went great.  Everything was measuring perfectly on track.  The doctor released me on May 1st.  I was 6 weeks 6 days.  Baby had a heartbeat of 125....just one baby that is...no twins for us.  :)

Fast forward to today: I'm 8 weeks 2 days and feeling like crap 24/7.  While I'm happy to have a constant reminder that I'm pregnant, being sick all day long definitely takes it's toll on me.  It's funny how different this time around has been so far.  I guess I figured it would be the same as when I was pregnant with Olivia.  I've had nausea since I was 4w3d this time around and it's definitely more intense than the first pregnancy.  I still haven't thrown up but there are days when I dry heave over the toilet...fun.  Exhaustion hit me like a brick wall last week.  I'M SO TIRED!!!  My boobs are growing, so that is a welcome change.  I wish they weren't so darn sore though...that part is not so welcome.  And I swear, I already look bigger.  I haven't gained any weight, but I think I've got some bloat going on...not sure how long this will be a secret if I start showing before I'm out of first tri.

So here I am, pregnant with my second little miracle.  Blissfully happy is an understatement.    I really wanted to chronicle this pregnancy the way that I did last time, so I'm hoping to keep up the posting this time around.  We'll see if I can make it.  I think I'll start doing weekly updates in a couple of weeks. 

My thoughts on breast feeding

During my pregnancy I knew that breast feeding was going to be difficult and painful in the beginning but I don't think that any amount of reading can truly prepare you for what it is actually going to be like (similar to being a parent in general).

That first couple of weeks were so terribly painful! Oh my gosh, I cried on several occasions and would get a terrible feeling in my stomach right before I had to feed her again. My nipples scabbed over twice and after that, things started to get better slowly.  I'm still a little sensitive in the shower when I have to face the water but its a million times better than it was. I'm not sure if that sensitivity will ever go away....

There was one thing however, that caught me way off guard. By 4 days post partum I noticed that my armpits felt sore.  When I lifted up my arms, I found that they were extremely swollen with big lumps that were tender to the touch. I went to the doctor the next morning and he informed me that it was the tail of my breast and to not be concerned. Apparently some women have an excess of breast tissue in their armpit...it woud have been nice if some of that breast tissue would have migrated to my chest in prior years when I was hoping for bigger boobs. :)

He wasn't sure if the swelling and lumpiness would go away after the initial engorgement phase.....I was more than a little upset.  I looked like I had huge tumors growing out of my armpits. I mean, talk about self conscious! Thankfully, the swelling went down dramatically over the next week and I can say that at this point someone looking at me won't be able to tell.

I was also surprised how sensitive my feelings about breast feeding were. While I knew deep down that she was getting enough to eat, all it took was one comment from Brad saying that he didn't think she was getting enough...something he admitted almost immediately was worded wrong. She was crying a lot that night and he was really just trying to ask if that could be what was wrong.  Well, cue the emotional breakdown! It took me days to get over his comment and to not feel so self conscious when I fed her in front of him.  Thankfully, we both got past it and I got my self esteem back.

Now that I'm 8 weeks out, a new issue has emerged.  Over a week ago, Olivia started going on temporary nursing strikes.  At random feedings throughout each day, she decides she wants nothing to do with the boob.  Mostly, she just hates it at night when its bedtime.  I really can't pin point what it could possibly be...  I'm hoping that last night was finally the turning point.  She actually nursed well (with no crying or anything) at bedtime for the first time in 10 days!!!  I'm not sure if her general gassiness has been to blame for these issues or if she is just stubborn. 

Wow, everytime you think you've got things down pat, they throw you for a loop.   

Postpartum exercising

Before giving birth I had given postpartum exercising a lot of thought and had tried to set my mind to getting back into shape as quick as possible. I had committed to doing a 15k with a friend 6 months after my due date so I was hoping that promise would keep me motivated.

So far, I can honestly say that my exercise routine (not sure if you can really call it that), has been going pretty well. I think what has really helped me get back to it most is my love for running.  I really missed hitting the pavement in my last few months of pregnancy.  When I would see others running, I would just stare longingly waiting for the day when I could run again...lol. Brad told me I was weird and he's probably right, haha!

I started out walking on the treadmill at 2 weeks PP and that quickly turned into running and some walking.  I just couldn't seem to help myself. Plus, it felt good to run and my body reacted well to the extra exertion, so I felt good about cranking it up. I also threw in some core exercises for 5-10 minutes everyday to help get rid of all the extra jiggle in my middle....yes that made me laugh.

I have signed up for a 5k on April 6th. I'll be 8 weeks pp. I'm not looking to get a fast time out of it, just want to be able to complete it (even if I have to walk a small part).  Giving myself a goal for the short term is helping to keep me extra motivated for now.

One of the things I was not prepared for was the lack of bladder control. It's fine when I'm walking, but when I run I leak like a faucet.  It's a good thing I'm still wearing pads.  From what I've read, it should get better slowly in the next few months, but in the meantime I'm trying to step up the kegels.  Peeing while you run is not exactly a good feeling...constantly worrying if its going to start running down your leg and into your shoes, ugh!

I'd like to update again in a few months and see if I am able to continue working out once leave is over and I have to try to manage 2 jobs and a baby.  Just thinking about that makes me tired!