Real Quick

This morning when I was trying to get the energy to get out of bed, L came in to ask me a question. Baby (whom L has dubbed "Plum" from when the pregnancy site described the baby as being the size of a plum) was kicking right at the middle of my stomach when L came in, so I took her hand and put it where Plum had been kicking. Apparently Plum either doesn't perform on command or was tired of kicking because we didn't get much, but she did get to feel one small kick. She was very excited, and A was disappointed that by the time she got there and had her hand on my stomach, Plum was back to kicking my bladder.

Midwife Appointment

We had our 3rd midwife appointment yesterday. The girls were very excited to find that the midwife was running way behind, they LOVE the waldorf toys in the waiting room, so were happy as clams to have longer to play LOL.

Routine appointment, I'd gained 7 lbs but it's been 6 weeks and it's been a 6 weeks that's included a LOT of baby growth, and during those 6 weeks I went from not really looking pregnant to being very definitely pregnant, so I guess it's all good. We heard the baby's heartbeat again, 140 bpm.

Next appointment is in early January and we'll do the glucose screening at that appointment. The girls were thrilled to hear they'll have a whole HOUR to play in the waiting room since I have to drink the sugar gunk then wait an hour and have my blood drawn. Considering how much they enjoy the toys, it should be fine, but I'll probably make sure dh is available to come get them and take them home if, for whatever reason, it does NOT work for them to be there that long.

Also yesterday was the first time that I for sure felt a kick that could be felt from the outside. I've been feeling lots of movement but it's been mostly concentrated down (on my bladder, sigh) and even the ones that are toward the front, have been soft enough that I haven't figured anyone could feel them from the outside (and to confirm that, night before last A was in bed w/ us & had snuggled right up against me, baby was kicking right into her back and she didn't notice). But last night I had my arm laying across my stomach and the baby gave a good hard kick that I certainly felt. The girls were asleep and dh was still downstairs so I didn't bother trying to let anyone else feel it, but now I know to be paying attention for kicks that they can feel if they ARE around.

I'd Forgotten . . .

I'd forgotten how tiny newborn diapers are!!! While we were visiting my parents this weekend the girls & I spent a couple hours visiting my friend Kim and her family (the girls always have a blast playing w/ her kids). While we were there Kim offered me some newborn size diapers that she no longer needs. I pulled them out when we got home and they are SOO TINY!! And yet, they were almost too big for the girls when they were born. Granted, I fully expect this baby to be significantly larger than my month early twins were, but still . . . it's easy to forget how tiny newborns are.

In other news, the girls have gone from being ambivalent about gender of the new baby to both saying they hope it's a girl. I'm reminding them repeatedly that it could be a boy (I made the mistake of commenting to someone, in the girls' presence, that if the old wives tale about heartbeat speed is correct, than it's a girl (old wives tale states that hb over 140 = girls, hb at our last appointment was 150), and the girls really latched onto that and are insisting it IS true), but they insist it IS a girl. So hopefully they won't be too disappointed if it does end up being a boy.

In the TMI category

The baby (whom L has named "plum" from several weeks back when the pregnancy journal thing's description of the baby at that week's gestation described it as being near the size of a plum) had apparently decided that my bladder makes a great trampoline, sigh . . . The one thing that keeps it from driving me totally insane is that I keep reminding myself that at least this time the baby can't both jump on my bladder AND cram itself up under my rib cage at the same time, like the girls were so fond of working together to accomplish, sigh . . . :)

No kicks that could be felt from the outside yet (mainly because they're very much centered on my bladder) the girls are anxiously waiting to be able to feel the kicks for themselves :)

A Couple Notes on our Trip

We got back last night from a week & a half of traveling. We went to my parents', then all headed to Jamestown & Busch Gardens Williamsburg, then drove on down to Orlando for a week of Disney & Sea World, then back home.

Overall, I did alot better than I expected. I wasn't sure how my energy levels would hold up w/ days and days of constant walking & "going" but I really wasn't any more tired than I was last year when I wasn't pregnant. I think it did help some that, w/ my parents along, I could sit out the "kid rides" (kids wanted Mama & Papa to go w/ them on those) so I got short rests if I could find somewhere to sit near the ride. But really it wasn't bad at all.

By far my biggest complaints weren't pregnancy related, I started the trip congested, and about that time that cleared up, I somehow managed to get poison ivy (or something similar) ALL over my face/neck/chest!! I spent the week whining about being itchy, sigh . . . those patches have mostly cleared up but now I have random little patches scattered over the rest of me, so I'm STILL whining about being itchy. Need to re-vist the sites w/ natural remedies and see what other options I want to try now that I'm home. Anyway . . . pregnancy really didn't slow me down at all on this trip, other than a few more bathroom trips than normal LOL. On Friday, I was TIRED and just kind of ached all over, so I think I'd over done it by then, but dh was also complaining about being tired & achy & he's not pregnant, so I think it was just 5 1/2 days of straight amusement parks.

I also am pretty sure I'm starting to feel the baby. It's only at night, and generally when I'm on my left side (almost as if baby doesn't like me laying on my left side, sigh . . . not only is that the "recommended" sleeping position during pregnancy, it's also the position I find most comfortable, pregnant or not, so I'm going to be whining a BUNCH if baby doesn't decide it's an acceptable sleeping position here soon LOL).

Midwife Appointment

Our 2nd midwife appointment was this afternoon. Everything looks good. We heard the heartbeat loud & strong, though little wiggleworm kept running away from the dopler LOL. Heartbeat was around 150 for those who like to make predictions based on such things LOL. I'm measuring on target (it was at 16 weeks last time that the midwife mentioned that I was "measuring abit big" . . . )

Everything else looks fine (blood pressure, blood work from last time, all that good stuff). I've gained 6 lbs in the past 6 weeks.

We met the 2nd midwife today, I liked her too, so whichever midwife we end up with, I'll be happy :) She was nice about explaining things to the girls, even let them feel the jelly stuff they use on the dopler when they asked about it.

She also gave me a recommendation for a pediatrician. It's about 45 min from here, but they are ok w/ selective/delayed/no vax, are breastfeeding friendly . . . they are also a family practice so, while I'll probably keep using the birth center for gyn since it's so close, we could use this practice for our whole family, as needed. AND they use natural methods, homeopathics, nutrition . . . to treat things, which is, obviously, in line with my beliefs about such things :) So, I'm thinking we'll go with them.

As we were leaving she gave us a handout that shows the baby at actual size each month during gestation, which the girls LOVE (and I think it's pretty cool too LOL).

Next appointment is Dec 1.

I'm not doing so well at keeping up am I?

What can I say, it's been an uneventful pregnancy, and I'm busy w/ the girls, so not alot of time to sit around contemplating baby LOL.

Our 2nd midwife appointment is Monday, I'm anxious to hear the heartbeat, have the girls hear the heartbeat, and find out exactly where my uterus is located at the moment LOL. I keep feeling twinges that MIGHT be baby movement, but some of them I KNOW are too high (so just stuff shifting around to make room for the uterus I guess?) and others, I'm just not sure, cuz I'm not sure how high my uterus currently is.

I suppose I ought to take a belly picture here sometime soon. Though really I don't think I look pregnant (just fat LOL) unless I pull my clothes tighter around my belly . . .

My energy levels are much higher than they were in the first trimester. I still get tired if I try to go ALL day w/o sitting down to rest, but I can do a good bit in a day w/o any trouble. Good thing, since my to do list for our upcoming trip is rather ummm . . .LONG still LOL. DH is taking the girls to his mom's on Sunday so I'm hoping to get alot done while they're gone.

My appetite has also really picked up. No idea how much weight I've gained (our scale needs a new battery), will find that out on Monday too. But I'm definitely eating more & feeling hungry more often. Which is a good thing, I don't like that, early in pregnancy, I have so little appetite, I know the baby needs nutrients, but I also believe it's important to "listen to my body" and it's telling me not to eat much . . . so I'm happier now that my brain AND my body are telling me I need to eat plenty of healthy foods LOL.