Third Pregnancy Recap - First Half

Even though I haven't blogged in FOREVER, I want to at least get this info in writing before I forget it all.

I had a suspicion I *might* be pregnant towards the middle to end of February, but every test I took was negative.  I was crampy, nauseous, moody, and had twinges in my uterus I had only felt when I was pregnant before.  Finally on Monday, February 27th, I got the faintest of positive tests.  I then proceeded to take 3 more that day, and they all showed up as positive.

I told Joshua that Monday night after he got home from Lane's basketball practice and the kids were asleep.  We were both shocked, but excited.  I had always wanted a third child, but this came as quite the surprise!

Over the next few weeks I had multiple blood draws to check my HCG and progesterone levels, which took a while to increase.  I also started supplemental progesterone as a precaution.

At our first ultrasound, baby measured 6w1d and we saw a heartbeat, but it was slow (~95bpm).  We were then told to come back two weeks later to recheck, and when we did everything was progressing as it should.

I spent the first 10-12 weeks very nauseous and exhausted.  It was hard to keep the secret at work because I just felt so miserable all of the time, plus my belly always starts to pop right away.  We also held off on telling the kids until after the first trimester.

Because of my history of preterm labor/delivery with Owen at 32w6d, I started receiving the Makena injections at 16 weeks to hopefully reduce the risk of this baby being a preemie.  The first shot was given in the office, and every other one Josh has given me at home.  This will continue until the end of my 35th week or baby is born, whichever comes first.  Owen thinks its hilarious that Daddy gives me the shot "in the butt" (intramuscular injection in the back of my hip), and Lane is terrified whenever I have to get it and hides in the other room.

Also around 16 weeks I started having Braxton-Hicks contractions quite frequently, so I try to really keep my water intake up, lie down whenever I can, and just listen to my body.

I have an anterior placenta this time around, which has made feeling this baby much more difficult; its like all of the movements are muffled instead of stronger like with my last two pregnancies.

We found out during our 20 week anatomy scan that this baby is a little GIRL, which completely surprised me.  I was so sure we were having a third boy, and I even had his name picked out.  I cried when the tech told us her gender, because I was so surprised and excited.  It seemed so strange at first to be expecting a girl, but it now feels "right" and like she was always meant to join our family.

That's about it for the first half of this pregnancy!  I am trying to savor every moment, no matter how uncomfortable, because this is likely our very last baby.  Fingers crossed we make it well into the third trimester before we meet this little girl!

Feeling Outside Kicks

This past Monday, at 25w2d, Josh was able to feel Baby Davis kick for the first time! I knew he would be able to soon, as I could tell the kicks were getting stronger and stronger, and I could also see my belly move when he kicked.

So, while Josh was in the shower, I relaxed in bed, watching my belly.  He was being particularly active that night, so when Josh climbed into bed, I told him to try watching my belly to see if he could see it move.  He instead placed his hand on my stomach, and relaxed with his eyes closed.  I don't think he had much hope for feeling the baby, and was more so doing it to please me.  About 15 seconds later, though, the little man gave a great big kick, right where Josh's hand was.  Josh's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Was that him?!".  I told him yes, it was him kicking, and he was amazed!  The baby continued to give him some solid kicks for 15-20 minutes, and Josh couldn't get enough.  He refused to let me go to sleep because he wanted to keep feeling him.

Other people have been asking if they can try to feel him kick, and I've held off on letting anyone until Josh had the chance to.  I really wanted him to experience it before anyone else.  Next up is trying to have my mom and dad feel him; I know my mom can't wait to!

Our First Trip to Labor and Delivery

Yesterday started off as a great day. It was sunny and warm, I had the day off, and I was looking forward to a relaxing evening with my brother and Josh.

What happened was rather different, however.

I did get to enjoy most of my day though.  I slept in.  Went into work for a few hours to catch up on some stuff.  And did a little shopping.  I was then headed home to meet Josh, when I was rear-ended.

I was sitting in a line of traffic, waiting in a construction slowdown.  Our lane was stopped, while they diverted traffic coming the other way.  All of a sudden, my car was jarred forward.  I originally thought someone at the end of the line of cars hadn't stopped and it had caused a domino effect.  Luckily, however, it was just our two cars.  The woman driving the other car stated she accidently shifted into/out of gear and her car lurched forward.

She was extremely apologetic, especially when she saw I am pregnant.  One of the construction flaggers came over and diverted traffic around us, and I called 911.  I told the dispatcher about our accident, and that I am 25 weeks pregnant.  She then said she was sending the fire department as a precaution, and dispatched Washington State Patrol to the scene.  Everyone showed up on scene with lights and sirens going (which slightly embarrassed me!).  They did a head-to-toe check, and since my blood pressure and pulse we both high, they called my OB's office to ask what they wanted me to do.  The doctor's office instructed them to transfer me to our hospital to be monitored as a precaution.  Although I felt fine and could feel the baby kicking, I was still relieved that I was going to be checked out further.

I called Josh right away to tell him what happened, as I knew he would be heading home from work soon and the accident occurred on his route home.  I didn't want him to drive by, see my wrecked car, and have me not be there!  The State Patrol officer called a tow truck to tow my car from the scene, and the ambulance arrived.  I was loaded up, given oxygen, asked a bunch more questions, and off we went to the hospital.  It was my first ambulance ride!  There were no lights and sirens, however.

I was texting Josh the entire time, telling him to meet me at the ER.  When I arrived at the ER, they told the EMT's to take me to Labor and Delivery.  I texted this to Josh, which sent him into a panic.  He thought I meant that the baby might be coming THAT NIGHT!  He arrived just after I did, and I've never seen him so pale.  He was so concerned about both of us, and I could tell he was on edge.  The nurse came in and hooked us up to a fetal heart monitor and contraction monitor, and we heard the baby's heartbeat right away.  It was chugging along just perfectly, and he was giving us some good kicks too. 

Josh started to calm down once he saw that I was calm, and we proceeded to spend the next 5 hours at the hospital.  I had blood drawn, received my RhoGAM shot (since I'm Rh-), had an ultrasound* to check the placenta and a biophysical profile of the baby, and generally just rested.  They then discharged us, saying everything checked out perfectly.  I was told warning signs to look out for, and that my doctor would followup with me at my regularly scheduled appointment next week.

It was a scary experience to say the least, but I am so very thankful that everything is fine with the baby and myself.  Although I can't wait to meet this little guy, he needs at LEAST another 13 weeks to cook!

*When doing the biophysical profile of the little man, the ultrasound tech had certain things she needed to check for.  These included gross body movements, leg kicks, and looking at/measuring his heartrate.  While trying to get him to move around, she zoomed in on his abdomen.  We were able to see his diaphragm moving in a regular, consistent pattern.  The tech said he was practicing breathing, and that they don't normally see babies doing that until much closer to delivery.  She said he was very advanced in that department!  That, of course, made me proud. :)  Plus, I felt more relieved that if this little guy did in fact need to come early, he would stand a better chance of survival with fewer problems.  Kiddo isn't even born yet and he's already making me one proud mama!

Halfway Point!

Baby Boy Davis is now halfway done, and we couldn't be happier to be reaching this milestone.  I've sucked lately at posting photos and updates, so here's a (horrible quality) bare-belly photo.  Please excuse the mis-matched Christmas pajamas and dirty mirror!

It's A.....

BOY!

That's right!  Our little man will be arriving this fall.  He was measuring one day ahead, had a heartbeat of 148, and was wiggling all over the place.

The ultrasound tech told us that the gender would be the last thing she showed us.  She went through all of the required measurements, and everything looked great.  It was so neat to see him stretching his little arms out, reaching around, and kicking his legs.  I had to roll from side to side to get to him to move so she could measure his heart, and then he decided to lie on his stomach.  As soon as he did that, I was 100% convinced he was, in fact, a boy.  Josh is a total stomach sleeper, and I instantly said, "Josh, that's you!". 

When she got to the point of showing us the gender, she didn't say anything.  Josh and I both thought we knew what we were looking at, but neither of us wanted to say anything.  Then she started typing, "I'm a boy!!!".  We both started laughing and smiling, and Josh reached over to grab my hand.  I've never seen Josh so incredibly happy!  We then went in to see the doctor, and she said everything is great!  My weight gain is on track, baby's heartbeat is fine, my blood pressure was normal, and we come back in one month.  After that appointment, we start going every two weeks!  Can't believe we're getting to that point already!

Here is our little guy's profile: 

Now, we just have to decide on a name, and start shopping!

Time Flies!

(I apoligize in advance for this post being random and all over the place!)

I can't believe our big ultrasound is TOMORROW!! It seemed like a lifetime away, and then all of a sudden, its here!  We are beyond excited!

Yesterday morning (Mother's Day), when I woke up, the first words out of Josh's mouth were, "Happy first Mother's Day!".  Totally melted my heart.  Then, later in the day, he asked me to come help him lift something out of his truck (which I thought was weird, since he won't let me lift ANYTHING), and in the back of his truck was a hanging flower basket!  I teared up, and was just amazed.  I didn't expect us to acknowledge Mother's Day at all, since obviously the little one isn't here yet.  I was on such a high for the rest of the day from it!

We also got to see both of our mom's, which was great.  Mother's Day is one of my favorite holidays!

Here are our final baby gender predictions:
Maranda: Boy
Josh:  Girl

I'll be posting tomorrow with the results!!

Baby Bedding

With our gender ultrasound less than a week away, I've gotten serious about looking for bedding for the kiddo's room.  I'll post our current options below, and you folks can help me narrow it down!

Girl:

 Harlington, from Pottery Barn Kids

 Harper, from Pottery Barn Kids

 Love Birds, from Bananafish

 Penelope, from Pottery Barn Kids

Boy:  We will undoubtedly do a sports theme if we have a boy, as Josh is the biggest sports fan that ever lived.  I love Junior Varsity from Pottery Barn Kids, and get very excited about all of the sports decor I could put in his room, including some of Josh's old stuff.

As soon as we have confirmation on the gender, I plan on ordering a piece (curtain, sheet, etc) from whichever bedding set we choose so I can get painting!  This summer has something major going on each month, and I want to have time to get everything accomplished before September.  We just this past weekend got all the trim done in the nursery, and now just need a blind on the window and new closet doors before I get to start decorating.

Cant' wait to post the before and after photos!

16 Week Survery

How far along? 16 weeks and 4 days
How big is baby?  According to The Bump, 4.6 in. and 3.5 oz; roughly the size of an avocado.
Total weight gain/loss: Up 2-4 lbs., depending on the day and which scale I'm using.
Sleep:  Lately, I can't get enough sleep!  I fall asleep watching a movie in the evening, and go back to bed after Josh leaves in the morning.
Best moment this week: Being able to feel our kiddo moving around more and more.
Movement: Still barely noticeable/faint, but I'm really starting to feel it more!
Symptoms: Constantly peeing, a growing belly, and constant hunger.
Symptoms I DON'T have: None that I can think of.
Food cravings: Still Papa Murphy's Pizza, fruit (mainly pineapple), juices, and WATER!
Food aversions: A lot of meats (mostly ground beef), a lot of sweets
Gender: Still don't know! Every dream I had up until about 2 weeks ago had been of a baby boy, and now I've had TWO girl dreams!  I honestly think my mother's intuition on this subject has gone out the window.
Labor Signs: Thankfully, none yet!
Belly Button in or out? Still in
What I miss: Sleeping on my back and stomach, and not having round ligament pains.
What I am looking forward to: Feeling more solid movements, finding out the gender, and starting on the nursery.
Milestones: Feeling more baby movements, and picking out nursery items!

15 Week Doctor Visit

Just got back from the doctor for our monthly checkup, and everything went great!  Pee in a cup, blood pressure, feeling uterus, hear heartbeat.  Hearing our kiddo's heartbeat is definitely the highlight!  Last time (at 11 weeks), she had to search around for awhile before she found it.  Today, she squirted some gel on there, placed the soundhead on my belly, and BAM!  There it was instantly, pounding away at 155bpm.

She said I'm right on track with my weight gain (2 lbs) and that even a little more would have been fine.  We scheduled my next appointment for Tuesday, May 10th, which is exactly 4 weeks from today.  And also on that day...

OUR BIG ULTRASOUND!!!

That's right!  At 8 AM that day, we (hopefully) get to find out if we have a Baby C. or Baby M.  Four weeks seems like a lifetime away, but then I think back at how quickly this past month has flown by, and I realize it will be here before we know it.  To say we're excited is a major understatement!

15 Week Survey

I have seen similar surveys on other blogs, so I thought I might as well try one out!

How far along?  15 weeks and 2 days
Total weight gain/loss:  I am currently 2 lbs. over my pre-pregnancy weight.
Sleep:  Hit and miss.  Sometimes I have a hard time getting comfortable, and other times I konk out.  Although having to get up to pee is starting to get old already.
Best moment this week:  Hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure it will be hearing our kiddo's heartbeat at the appointment tomorrow.
Movement: I've felt a few movements so far, but nothing too distinct.  I can't wait for it though!
Symptoms:  Constantly peeing, a growing belly, hormonal rages (although honestly, not too bad!), and cravings/aversions. And heartburn/bloating on occasion.
Symptoms I DON'T have:  None that I can think of.
Food cravings:  Papa Murphy's Pizza, fruit (mainly pineapple), juices
Food aversions: A lot of meats (mostly ground beef), a lot of sweets
Gender:  Still don't know!
Labor Signs:  Thankfully, none yet!
Belly Button in or out?  Still in
What I miss: Wearing some of my old t-shirts that just now won't fit over my belly! And not feeling out of breath constantly.
What I am looking forward to: Feeling more solid movements, finding out the gender, and starting on the nursery.
Milestones:  Feeling more baby movements, and scheduling our gender ultrasound!

(Photo to come later this week!)

14 Weeks

Here we are, at 14 weeks!  (Well, actually closer to 15 weeks now.)  Time has really flown by, and I can't believe its been since JANUARY when we found out we're expecting!

I really need to try to take photos earlier in the week, but with our schedules lately and the crappy weather we've had, it hasn't happened.  So here is a photo from yesterday.  I apologize (again) for the crappy quality; I uploaded it to Facebook directly from my phone, and then stole it from Facebook to put on here. 

So far, I've been feeling pretty good!  Those first 12 weeks were ROUGH, but now that the morning (all day) sickness is gone, I'm really enjoying my growing belly.  I am constantly hungry, but have only gained about 3 lbs. total.

We've slowly started to prepare more for the kiddo, and plan to do the trim/closet doors in the soon-to-be-nursery sometime this month.  Our "big" ultrasound will be in the beginning of May, and once we find out if we have a Baby C. or Baby M., we'll be painting that room.

I felt our first baby movement on Monday afternoon, and immediately called Josh to tell him about it.  He was so excited, and we made sure to mark the day on our calendar.  He's more than ready to feel kicks from the outside, and I'm so ready for him to be able to experience it!

I go back in to the doctor on Tuesday for our monthly check-up, and that's when I'll schedule our gender ultrasound.  We can't wait!

Surreal

Yesterday, I had another one of those moments when I realized, In just a few more months, I'm going to be a mom.  I am going to have a CHILD.  Of my OWN.  To take care of. 

I had ordered our carseat and stroller, even though its still early, because I had a coupon and there was a promotion going on that ended in a GREAT deal on the combo.  So we jumped.

They were delivered yesterday while we were at work, and since Josh was working overtime last night, I packed them up and took them to Mom's for dinner and so we could tinker with them.  I had to take the carseat and base out of the box, because there was no way those two huge boxes were fitting in my little Honda with Molly.  I carried the stroller box in first, and then walked in carrying the infant seat.  I saw my reflection in the mirror, and that's when it hit me.  It was such a weird image- seeing myself carrying this seat that will soon be used by my own baby.

We put the stroller together, and Mom and I took turns pushing it around the house.  I then loaded it up, and took it home so Josh could see it when he gets home.  He loved the stroller and carseat as soon as he saw them, and was equally glad we jumped on the opportunity.

Then again, this morning, I got up and stumbled to the kitchen to make Josh's lunch and coffee.  And there they were again.  Still sitting in the same place as last night, but I had forgotten they were there.  A constant reminder of what is to come.  Those same thoughts running through my head as when I saw myself carrying the carseat.

Starting to have baby gear, clothes, diapers in our house is really getting me more and more excited for this fall!

Stroller Decision!

So I posted last night about researching strollers and carseats, and then after I hit "post", I did some more researching. 

I have long loved the Britax B-Ready stroller and its variety of configurations.  It has great reviews on a multitude of websites, and really just seems to fit what we want out of a stroller.  The only problem was the price.

Britax currently has a promotion going on where you can get the Britax Chaperone infant carseat for free when you purchase the B-Ready stroller, which is a $239.99 value.  Amazon is also selling the B-Ready for a reduced price (Britax is making way for new spring colors), and I have a 10% off coupon also.  This makes the B-Ready entirely affordable for us, since previously mentioned family member is contributing to the cost (in place of purchasing the carseat separately).  Here is the cost breakdown:

Original Cost:
Britax B-Ready Stroller $499.99
+ Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat $239.99
= $739.98

Current Cost:
Britax B-Ready Stroller $399.99 (on sale through Amazon)
+ Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat $183.99 (on sale through Amazon)
- 10% off Amazon Coupon
- $183.99 (Free Carseat promotion)
= $341.59

That's almost $400 in savings!!

We of course had to pay sales tax, but since I have an Amazon Prime account, we get free 2 day shipping, so it should be here Wednesday!  So glad we found this promotion and sale- we now can get what we really wanted!

Strollers and Car Seats

Josh finally agreed to go to Babies R Us with me today to browse and start narrowing down our choices on some big-ticket items.  The crib, changing table, and dresser are all decided, which is a huge relief.

Our main concerns right now are carseat and stroller.  I have heard time and time again to avoid the big, bulky, heavy travel systems, and I think that advice is pretty sound.  I started looking at lightweight, umbrella-type strollers, and also a Snap'n'Go to use with the infant carseat for the first few months.

Then, I found a few lightweight strollers at BRU today that you can use an infant carseat with!  Makes needing a Snap'n'Go pointless!  Here are our (current) options:

(I'm going to use the Chicco KeyFit 30 in all of these options, because it works with every option we have.  Also, the colors in the photos may not be the actual colors we choose.)

Option #1:  Chicco KeyFit 30 infant carseat + Snap'n'Go stroller + Chicco Liteway = $394.97

Pros:  The Snap'n'Go stroller is very light and folds down small, which is nice for my little Honda and for Josh's truck.  The Chicco Liteway has great reviews, and also folds down small and is light.
Cons:  Having to store the Snap'n'Go once the kiddo is old enough to sit in the Liteway.  That the Liteway can't be used with an infant carseat.  Cheap wheels.


Option #2:  Chicco KeyFit 30 infant carseat + Britax B-Nimble Stroller = $379.98

Pros:  The Britax B-Nimble is also very lightweight and folds small.  It has the option of using an infant carseat with it, with a variety of brands accepted.
Cons:  The Britax Chaperone infant carseat snaps into the stroller, but other brands use a weird strap system that I don't know if I'm comfortable with.  The Britax Chaperone is $20 more than the Chicco KeyFit 30 carseat.  Cheap wheels.

Option #3:  Chicco KeyFit 30 infant carseat + Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller = $489.93

Pros:  This stroller has big, solid, rubber wheels that can really hold up on uneven ground.  It accepts infant carseats with the purchase of an adapter.  Still folds up relatively small.
Cons:  Most expensive option.  Not as lightweight as other strollers.  Have to purchase adapter for carseat.


I should mention that a family member has graciously offered to purchase the infant carseat of our choice, so that cost really won't be factored into the total cost of our "travel system".

So mommas, what's your opinion?

13 Weeks and a Few Odd Days

Here are two belly bump photos.... one from this past Tuesday, and one from tonight at the park. The second one Josh took, so its slightly out of focus and rather grainy (he has no patience for photos or my camera).  I think the first photo looks bigger because I was wearing a tight t-shirt, and in the second its a looser shirt plus a sweater.

The 13 Week POP!

There I was, putting along, thinking I would start to get a "baby bump" closer to 20 weeks.  I hadn't gained any weight (and still haven't), and there was no sign that a belly was imminent.

Last Thursday, at 12w5d, I was at work and looked in the mirror and noticed that my previously flat-appearing (in clothes) abdomen now had a sort of roundness to it.  Noticeable to me, but not necessarily anyone else.  So I snapped a cell-phone photo in the bathroom at work.

Fast forward to Saturday morning, and I awoke to a new development: full-on belly.  Even Josh noticed.  Especially after I put on a side-ruched maternity t-shirt.  I had a birthday party to go that afternoon, and wondered if anyone else would notice.  And notice they did!

It still feels very odd to have something protruding from my body.  And it surprised me at how quickly it appeared!  My doctor did mention though that this is kind of to be expected, seeing as how this is my third pregnancy, and that I have a very short torso, so baby has nowhere to go but out.

Here are two comparison photos - please excuse the poor quality, as they are both from my cell-phone.