38 Days Left

Days remaining until Anna's due date have now dipped into the 30's. It seems all I can think about is her impending birth, and how I wish it was more impending than it is.

I'm definitely aware of my size. Not in a self-loathing kind of way, but in a wow-this-is-annoyingly-uncomfortable kind of way. I'd rather gain 75 lbs and only be pregnant for 4 months than gain 35ish and be pregnant for 9.5 months.

Supposedly, there are women out there who LOVE being pregnant. I read about it. In a book. (Dodgeball reference, for those who don't know.) I've actually met one of these women in real life. And if you've never had a baby before, but are considering having one in the future, I sincerely hope you are one of those freaks that loves being pregnant. But I am not.

Nights are especially fun right now. I wake up often-every 1-2 hrs; more often if Lexi is in a calling out kind of mood. Most of the time I just need to roll over to get comfortable be able to tolerate resting again. The pregnant lady roll is more like a workout than a casual toss. First, I take a deep breath. Then I let out a grunt as I use all 4 limbs to clumsily move my body toward the other side of the bed. And it all ends with a whine as my hamstring and nerves in my belly light up like they are on fire.

But it never ends there.

Somehow, Anna puts more pressure on my bladder when I lay down. So every time I wake up to roll over, I HAVE to go pee or I can't fall back asleep. And every time I sit up/lay back down, I HAVE to pop a Tums to combat the ensuing heartburn. And once or twice each night, just for giggles, I become keenly aware of how STARVING I am. To the point that I have considered eating Elian's arm just because I didn't think I could make it to the kitchen before dying of hunger.

Some people say all this waking up during the last trimester is God's/nature's way of preparing pregnant women for the sleepless nights that come with a newborn. I think that's crap. God knows pregnant women need rest to grow and deliver the baby. And God knows that no matter what kind of sleep-depriving boot camp He could come up with for moms-to-be, our bodies and minds are never prepared for the insanity-inducing lack of sleep that babies bring with them.

32 Weeks' Belly Pictures

Here they are, in all their glory:

32 Weeks

So, I'm over this whole pregnancy thing. There are not many pleasant things about being 8 months pregnant, but I tried to think of at least one last night. And the one that made me feel the best is the fact that I'm no longer vomiting every morning. That's optimistic, right? Well, guess where my Rice Krispies ended up halfway through breakfast. I'll give you a hint: NOT IN MY STOMACH.

I've also had this pulled groin/hamstring combo going on for over a week now. I have no idea how it happened, but it isn't healing. Apparently, weighing 25 more pounds than you're supposed to, and gaining more everyday, isn't conducive to that sort of thing.

The heartburn is worse this time around too. The wives' tales say you get heartburn when you're having a girl or a baby with a lot of hair. Anna must have an afro.

I'm due in 8 weeks, which feels like an eternity. Over the weekend I had a couple of signs of preterm labor, but they were the kind of signs that can mean a lot of things. I called the nurse, just to be reassured, and she said I could just be dehydrated or have a bladder infection. She told me to not worry about it unless the symptoms got worse or more obvious labor symptoms, like Anna's head poking out, developed. The symptoms didn't last all day, but they have been coming and going since Saturday morning. Selfishly, I would love to have Anna today, but, that's obviously not best for her. She can come in 5 weeks and still be considered term. So, think 5, everybody.

I'll post 32 week pictures later...

Pregnancy Update

I've gotten lazy with my pregnancy posts. I am 25 weeks along today and have yet to post pics from 20 weeks and 24 weeks. Here they are, in all their glory!








Apparently I gained 7.5 lbs between 20 and 24 weeks. My doctor, who I love, by the way, said, "It's not a big deal...but let's try and only gain 12 more lbs the rest of the pregnancy." (Insert my silence). 12 more lbs? The baby herself will be gaining 6-7 lbs. Plus, my will power to cut out sweets is non-existent.

Actually, that's an understatement.

At the end of the month I'll have my routine tests - gestational diabetes screening, another AIDS test, an anemia test - and another ultrasound to make sure my placenta is on board with the idea that Anna needs to come out first, not second.

Wow.

Yesterday Lexi and I went to Target to buy my brother-in-law a birthday present. We surveyed the store, making our usual stops in the baby and toy sections, just for fun. We got the gift and headed to check out. My ONE complaint about the Olive Branch Target, which is perfect in every other way, is they never have more than 2 registers open at a time, even on a Saturday afternoon, even when the lines are 6 people deep.

Anyway, we waited FOREVER while the slowest cashier you've ever seen checked out this lady who was trying to break the world record for Most Things Ever Bought at Target During a Single Visit. Needless to say, Lexi was getting antsy. She wanted out of that cart so she could go touch each and every item she could get her hands on.

By the time we had paid, she was on the verge of totally melting down. I pushed the cart back to the front of the store and hurried to get Lexi out. I set her down and she bolted for the door. I grabbed my purse and chased Lexi down before she got outside. We got back in the car and went on our way...

Three or four hours later it occurred to me that I hadn't seen the gift we had purchased. I jogged my pregnant memory the best I could and came to the horrifying conclusion that I left the paid-for gift in the shopping cart! I went to Elian and asked him if he had seen the gift. Nope. I called the store. The automated voice said, "Press 1 for Pharmacy....Press 2 for Photo..." I was waiting for "Press 5 if you're a moron..." I got a hold of customer service, thankfully, they had the lost gift waiting for me. Hooray, we weren't out $30!

I hung up the phone and explained everything to my husband, who was smirking the whole time. I said, "Part of this is pregnancy brain." You pretty much lose all ability to think logically and to remember anything at all while pregnant. They say it's the hormones... "Part of this is having a fussy toddler to contend with - I just got distracted." And then I laughed and admitted, "And part of this is just me." Elian laughed and asked, "What are the percentages?" Not wanting to take too much personal responsibility, I said, "49, 49, and 1." In all seriousness, Elian looked at me and said, "That's only 99%." "What?" I said, very confused, as he burst into hysterics.

Exactly.

16 Weeks

It's been a month since I posted belly pics, so here they are:




I'm not sure how much weight I've gained so far because I wasn't told how much I weighed on my first OB visit... But I think I gained 5 lbs since the last pics. Interesting.

My nausea has almost completely subsided, praise God. I only vomited once last week :) The only physical discomfort now is the inability to breathe through my nose about 12 hrs each night. I think it is a combo of the weather making my sinuses go haywire and the pregnancy making the inside of my nose swell. Lovely.

On a better note, we have the ultrasound to check out the baby's goodies in 3 weeks! I am excited. When we saw Lexi on ultrasound and found out she was a girl, I fell in love with her. She was no longer an impersonal being supposedly inside of me. She was a specific person, my daughter. I saw her individual vertebrae, her toes, the 4 chambers of her heart, the profile of her nose and mouth - everything. She was beautiful and perfect and our intimate relationship really began that day. I am looking forward to experiencing the same connection with our next child.

12 Weeks Down

Yesterday was the 12 week mark for pregnancy #2. Whew. They tell me most people are done vomiting at 13 weeks, which sheds some hope on things. However, with Lexi, I threw up until about 20 weeks... So we'll see. I've already gained some weight this time around, where as with Lexi I lost weight initially and didn't gain any until 20 weeks. I also started 10 lbs heavier this time around. Somewhere between birthing Lexi (and coming back down to my pre-pregnancy weight immediately) and conceiving Baby #2, I picked up 10 lbs of pizza and ice cream, about which I have no regrets. I've gained two more pounds in the last 12 weeks due to the insatiable appetite pregnancy affords and my incredibly carb-laden diet. I'm just not that excited about meat and vegetables, but grains and fruits and desserts are right up my ally.

Anyway, here are pics from when I was 12 weeks along with Lexi:


And here are the pics from being 12 weeks along the second time around:



Ummm, wow. I'd chalk my big belly up to having twins (or quintuplets), but we've already had an ultrasound that said there is only one baby in there. And at my appointment last week, the nurse said the baby's heartbeat was soft, meaning she thought the baby was small. Hmm. I guess I've run out of reasons for the dramatic difference in bulbousness this time around. Except for the tried and true, "The second time you always show sooner because all those muscles were stretched out the first time." Sounds good to me!

New Due Date: July 26th

I went to the doctor yesterday to hear the baby's heartbeat. The ultrasound said many wonderful things: there is only one baby in there, it is in the right place, it has a great heartbeat, and all is well. The ultrasound also said one not so wonderful thing: I am only 7 weeks and 2 days along, 11 days less than originally thought.

The reason this is "bad" is because I hate being pregnant. I hated it the first time, and I hate it this time. It's true that you forget how horrible it was once you have that little miracle in your arms, because if it weren't true, I wouldn't have purposely gotten pregnant again. In fact, I would have had my uterus completely removed immediately after Lexi's birth.

I haven't thrown up yet, but I am nauseous. All day. And all night. The doctor gave me some anti nausea medicine, but it hasn't helped yet... I am mentally prepared for this to last up to 20 weeks. I was excited because I thought I was almost to 9 weeks, which is almost halfway to 20, which almost sounds bearable. So I was pretty deflated when the ultrasound only measured Baby #2 at 7 weeks and 1 measly day. Sure, it is only 11 more days, but 11 more days in morning sickness time is like 2.5 months in real time.

Feel bad for Elian, too. He just got handed 11 more days/2.5 more months of coming home from a full day of work to a house that needs cleaning and a little girl that needs playing/feeding. My hero.

Big News

Levatino Baby #2 is now underway!

We discovered I am pregnant again about 2 weeks ago. We had a doctor's visit to confirm and told our families on Thanksgiving by dressing Lexi in a shirt that said Big Sister on it.

Although Baby #2 was not a surprise (I was off birth control), Elian and I were not intentional about getting pregnant this quickly. They say it takes 3 months for the pill to get out of your system. So we were thinking January. Apparently, God was thinking October because we got pregnant after 15 days!

We are all excited and nervous about what life with two small children will look like. Lexi will be 2 years and 2.5 months old when Baby #2 gets here around July 16th.

My mind is spinning a To Do List:
- clean out and paint guest room
- buy new furniture for Baby #2
- potty train Lexi
- move Lexi to a twin bed
- get maternity clothes back
- buy more maternity clothes
- register
- go to a gazillion prenatal appointments
- get all baby stuff (swing, bouncy seat, clothes, bottles, etc.) out of storage
- clean all baby stuff
- don't let loving on Lexi or Elian fall to the bottom of this list (Doh!)

I have plenty of time - I am barely 8 weeks along. And most of this stuff can't be done until March, when we find out the sex. Of course, Elian wants a boy. He is already praying prayers like, "God, please make our baby grow a penis." I follow those prayers with, "Unless our baby is a girl - we don't want a hermaphrodite." I really think I have no preference on the gender. I'd love for Lexi to have a little sister she can grow with and be the best of friends with when they are adults. But I'd also love for Elian to have a son he can have male bonding with.

When I was pregnant with Lexi, I was sick for the first 5 months. Just a general nausea that never really went away. I probably vomited 3 or 4 times each week. It sucked. With this pregnancy, I am having hot flashes at night. Weird. I've had just a touch of nausea most mornings, but it has been a walk in the park. Until today. Today I have been nauseous for about 5 hrs, and eating isn't helping. Hmm. As bad as I might feel physically, though, the worst part is having to park Lexi in front of the TV while I lay on the couch. She loves TV, but hours on end isn't good for her. We need to be playing and running around outside, and reading books, and going places. I guess this is just the beginning of a mother of two's guilt that she can't give her best to both children at the same time, all the time.

Either way, I am excited.