Pregnancy Notes

{ ONE }

You were VERY planned, wanted and prayed for. At my annual doctor's appointment in March 2014, I spoke with my OB about possibly trying for another child soon. She told me that I needed to wait until after Emery turned one (June) to give my body ample time to heal. This timing was totally fine with me as I have always wanted children approximately 22 months/2 years apart. My little sister and I are 22 months apart and we grew up playing together and becoming best friends. This is definitely my hope for my children, whether two girls or a girl and a boy.

We found out that we were (4 weeks) pregnant in late July. John and I were both in a little shock. Once that wore off, it was nothing but excitement about adding another child to our family. Emery and K2 will be 21 months apart, a couple of days shy of 22 months. For me and my little family, this is PERFECT!

{ TWO } 

I am definitely more emotional this pregnancy than with Emery. However, the emotions and tears aren't from hormones per se and happen in my downtime when I have time to think about our growing family. I get emotional thinking about adding to our family because I know the intense love that comes with becoming a mother/parent to a child, whether it is the first or second time. It is a love that is so overwhelming that it is impossible to explain unless you have a child. It definitely makes you understand that great love that your parents have for you.

I also get very emotional thinking about the relationship that Emery and K2 will grow up having. There is nothing better than having a sibling/siblings to grow up with who understands parts of you that no other person can. This is a bond that I'm excited to watch grow as they grow up together.

{ THREE }

This pregnancy has flown by...I feel like I blinked and now I'm one week out from having K2. I contribute this to many factors, but mostly because I knew what to expect during every trimester (sickness, lack of energy, bursts of energy and the struggles with what to wear) of this pregnancy and having a toddler to keep me busy.

{ FOUR }

At any given point during this pregnancy, I had no idea how far along I was. This was always most evident when I would check in at the doctors office and they would ask how far along I was. Most times, I would give a range (somewhere around 23-25 weeks) and then they would have to look it up for confirmation. With E, I could tell you exactly how far along I was (weeks + days), what size fruit/vegetable she was (yes, those silly equivalents), how much she weighted and what was developing that week. K2 is loved equally, but I didn't feel the need to obsess over every little detail this time and honestly, I think it was a better way to go!

{ FIVE }

My pregnancies have been extremely similar. 

• First trimester: Extremely sick immediately. I didn't even need a pregnancy test to tell me that I was pregnant, I just knew by how I was feeling. 
• Second trimester: So much energy. This is my favorite part of pregnancy (besides going to the hospital to have the baby). You have energy, you still fit into the majority of your clothes and you are busy getting prepared for baby. 
• Third trimester: Still lots of energy, but slowing down a little. The one difference between this pregnancy is that I feel my energy has lasted much longer this time. With less than one week left, I am amazed at how good I feel and the amount of energy that I have to get stuff done. This is probably because I don't have choice with a toddler and she gives me the energy I need!

{ SIX }

With this pregnancy, I don't feel as confident about my instincts regarding the gender as I did with Emery. With Emery, I knew from very early on during my first trimester than she was a girl, even though I always thought I was destined to be a boy mom. I had a gut instinct that was so strong, plus two dreams where the doctor announced that it was a girl and it ended right there. I  never once felt like she was a boy. I remember telling John on many occasions that she was a girl and that he needed to prepare himself for that. His reply was always okay, but I may need a few minutes to process that if so. Luckily, he needed no time at all and that daddy's girl connection was instant.

During my first trimester with K2, I felt very strongly about this baby being a specific gender due to a dream. I woke up one night and told John, "We are having a ______ and we named the baby ______ " (which was not a name that we had ever considered and it still isn't on our list of names. And then, in the second, I started to think that maybe I was wrong and that it was the other gender. I'm pretty sure I am going to go with my initial gut on this baby's gender (and only my hubby knows what that guess is).

Old Wives Tales
String Test: Side to Side - BOY
Cravings: Sweet - GIRL
Carrying the extra weight: Out front - BOY
Chinese Birth Chart - BOY
Morning Sickness: Yes - GIRL
Baby's Heart Rate: Above 140 - GIRL
Carrying High or Low: High - GIRL

{ SEVEN }

When I became pregnant with K2, I had a feeling of peace that our family was now complete. Being that this is probably my last pregnancy (though a third isn't 100% ruled out), I will miss seeing ultrasounds of that perfect child growing inside, the anticipation and excitement of hearing the heartbeat for the first time (and all of the subsequent times), the nerves you feel in preparation for doctors appointments, the first hard karate kick, feeling a hand/foot/etc move along your tummy as they complete a somersault, feeling the absolute wonder and awe of what the human body is capable of and seeing your baby for the first time and for once, twice, you know what love at first sight means.  

Pregnancy Journal: Week 37

How Far Along? 37 weeks! The countdown is on....

Gender: Don't know! We will find out the gender on his/her Birth Day. 

Weight Gain: Yesterday at my weekly (yes, weekly already) doctor's appointment, I was up 27 pounds. Remember when I was convinced that I was already up 26 pounds at week 33. Thankfully, I was wrong. The doctor does think that this baby will be larger than Emery and in the 8 pound range. 

Maternity Clothes: I wear a mix of maternity and non-maternity tops and all maternity pants with the exception of sleepwear. 

Nursery: The nursery is officially done. We have the walls painted, the bookshelves hung, the crib put together and the glider and changing table from Emery's room have been moved into K2's room. There will be some final touches that will be added to the room after that baby is born (a rug that has been on backorder forever, repaint the changing table to either white, a light pink or navy and some additional wall hangings). 

A little sneak peek

Movement: Yes, there is still a lot of movement. It is mostly big rolls at this point. The baby is head down now and running out of room to move.  

Symptoms: Feeling nauseous at night (feels similar to the morning sickness that I have during my first trimester). I mentioned this to my doctor and she said that I need to try to eat dinner earlier and that it should help. I have also had heartburn a couple of times which is a totally new experience. 

Sleep: Sleep is pretty limited and luckily I function pretty well on small amounts! 

Cravings: Lots of fruit, specifically watermelon, plums, nectarines and kiwi. 

What I Miss: Nothing! At this point in my pregnancy, I am so focused on the fact that the items that I have missed in the past are more than worth it for this precious baby. 

Best Moment This Week: My doctor's appointment and the confirmation that everything is looking good and moving right along. The baby's heartbeat was strong, I measured exactly on track and the baby is in the proper position. 

Looking Forward To: I am most looking forward to: 1. Finally finding out if we are adding another sweet little girl to our family or a handsome little boy 2. Watching Emery become a big sister and interact with a sibling (this one gets me teary-eyed just thinking about it) and 3. Only having two more doctor's appointments before K2 is here! What?!?!?! This pregnancy in many ways has totally flown by. It definitely has helped to have a toddler to chase around.