Tummy Wednesday :) 13 weeks

So it's been a bit since I have posted.. Back to school has got me all messed up this year. I feel like a chicken with my head cut off most days. 

I am now 13 weeks, officially in the 2nd trimester and this baby bump is for serious. Fingers crossed that I don't continue to grow at this rate, otherwise I will be miserable by the end. I assume at some point I will kinda plateau, right? I mean I have like 6 months to go!

Biggest news the last few weeks is the bleed is gone. My body did what is was supposed to do to resolve the clot, and baby is developing right on track. CAN I GET AN AMEN!?!?! Doc said it doesn't put me at any higher risk of developing other problems later in the pregnancy and anything that may happen will not be related to this issue. "We" are CLEARED to resume our normal life. I was so excited to be able to run again! Well, that was until I was like 3 minutes into my run. It is amazing how quickly you loose what I worked so long and so hard to get. It's very disappointing. But, still I am back at it. Running and doing my weight class. This is will be the only pregnancy I have actually exercised through. We will see how it goes.

Baby is about 3 inches long and weighs about an once. His/Her head still takes up the majority of that, but soon it will start to even out. The finger prints are fully formed and the baby's sense of hearing is already almost completely developed. 

As for me, I'm still sick and tired. I am so ready to not feel like poo all the time. If history is repeating itself I have another 3 weeks before I feel normal again. And I . AM . SO . READY. 

"Ain't nobody got time for this"

I go back to the doctor again this Friday, then at my next appointment we will find out the gender. I still think its a girl (and have found awesome big sister/little sister shirts I will make!), and Chase still thinks it is a boy. Only time will tell....

Tummy Tuesday- 10 weeks

IT'S BAAAAACCCCKKKKK

Better late than never right? And in full disclosure I will probably not be posting every week because life. So, lets start calling it a "BumpDate".

Here is your bump-date thus far....

On a Friday morning, back in Mid-June I loaded up the girls and we headed to the much anticipated gymnastics camp. In the car ride on the way there I sneezed, and got an all too familiar pain in my hip I know to be round ligament pain. I have only ever had this pain when I was pregnant. I immediately started doing math in my head. There is no way, right? Well, I mean I guess there was a way, but it was just unlikely. I decided I would stop on my way back home to get a pregnancy test just in case. We get to gymnastics only to find out camp ended on Thursday and there was no camp today. Talk about some VERY disappointed little girls. So here I was with 3 crying kids checking out at Walgreens with a pregnancy test. You should have seen the look on the girls face who checked me out. It seriously could have been a commercial. I get home, take the test, and you guessed it- immediately positive. Chase was out of town, so I decided to keep my little secret until he got back in town on Sunday which just happened to be Father's Day. How appropriate! So I went and found him the perfect Father's Day card.

Chase opened his card Sunday morning and was just about as shocked as I was. 

FIRST DOCTORS APPOINTMENT (6weeks)

The morning of my first appointment I thought I was miscarrying. It's happened before, I know what it's like and I just KNEW that it was happening again. But the ultrasound showed a healthy fetus that already had a heart beat at 6 weeks (which is apparently early). I had what the called a subchorionic bleed. Which in layman's terms means the placenta is pulling away from the uterus, and had caused a 5cm clot to form (which looks HUGE next to a 1/2cm baby). I was told not to google my condition it would only scare me, but that I had a 50/50 chance of miscarrying this baby. And honestly I was relieved. I walked in thinking there was a 100% chance I was, so being told it was only a 50% chance I actually was optimistic. She wanted to see me back the next week for another ultrasound to re-evaluate, and to be on modified bed rest until then.

SECOND DOCTORS APPOINTMENT (7weeks)

The ultrasound showed a thriving baby! It had grown and developed appropriately which means it was getting all the nutrients it needed even though the placenta still was not completely attached. Doc said it could take another 8-10 weeks to completely resolve and until then I would come in every 2 weeks for an ultrasound to monitor the condition. She seems very optimistic. It appears that my body is doing exactly what it is supposed to do to heal the bleed, but I am not out of the woods yet. I got an official due date of February 20th at this appointment.

TELLING THE WORLD

After that great news we decided to tell the world about baby #4 on the 4th of July

Let me just pause right here and tell you why we decided to tell everyone "so early" and not wait until we were "safe in the second trimester." I have traditionally told everyone about all my pregnancies very early. One, because I can't keep a secret, and two because this is my baby. Whether I carry this baby to term, and deliver a healthy baby or this baby takes it's first breath in the arms of Jesus this is my baby that I love with all my heart and soul. From the time that tiny heart started beating this baby is a precious gift from God that I want to celebrate. Why is miscarrying such a "hush-hush" thing? It happens, like a lot. When I miscarried the first time I can't tell you how many other women reached out to tell me their stories and support me. Yes, it sucks... but I think it sucks less when you have a village to walk through it with you especially when many in that village have been where you are and have come out on the other side. And honestly are our babies ever safe? At first, we wait until the second trimester, but tragedies happen even after that. And then they reach the outside world where all beats are off. I have a feeling will continue to worry about my babies until, well until forever. But now I have an army of friends and family covering this baby in prayers. What can be more powerful than that?

Ok back on track...

THIRD APPOINTMENT (8.3 weeks)

Another good ultrasound, no change really just holding steady (which is what the doc expects at this point). I do LOVE getting to see that little nugget every 2 weeks. It's crazy the amount of development you can see in just a short amount of time. First a blob, then a snowman looking blob, and now a snowman blob with arm and leg buds.I can't wait to see my little blob at my next appointment this Friday (10.3 weeks).

As for me, I am TIRED, and sick. So much more than with 1, 2, and 3. I was able to tolerate the morning sickness with the girls without medication, but after spending the greater part of one day on the bathroom floor I gave in. So far meds have made the morning sickness tolerable, but I sure hope it is over soon. I felt better with the girls by 16 weeks so I am counting down the days. Chase also says I am mean as a snake, although I think I'm a peach. :)  With the other 3 I was chill when I was pregnant. Mainly because I didn't have the energy to get worked up over stuff, but this one... EVERY little thing sets me off. I have a short fuse (so I'm told). For these 2 reasons Chase thinks it's a boy. I think it is a girl because I don't think we know how to make boys.... We shall see! We are excited to add another member to this family, regardless of the gender. 

9weeks and 4 days- and already a definite baby bump

Sylvia's Newborn Pictures

Sylvia- One Month Old

 

How is it that a pregnancy can drag on and on, but once that sweet bundle of joy is here time goes in turbo speed?

Sylvia's first month of life on the outside has been a wonderful blur, and she is a perfect addition to our family.

Our first night at home was a long, long night. Remember, we left the hospital around 10pm so by the time we got home it was 11pm and her second night- which is historically one of the hardest nights anyway. In the hospital and on the way home she did this cough, spit up, gag, choke, gasp for air thing that scared the snot out of me. So I moved her bed out of the closet and right smack up beside our bed. Chase laughed saying I am opposite of most moms. Our first baby spent her first night in her crib, the second baby spent the night in a bassinet on the other side of the room, and now our third child spent her first night within arms reach. He laughed that at this rate the next one will end up in the bed with us. 

So after the first night of being up every hour to hour and a half it got better and better each night. Moving to mainly 2 hour stretches with a 3 hour stretch in there to now 3 hour stretches with a 4 hour stretch thrown in somewhere. But I can't complain- she nurses and then goes back to sleep. We are only up for 20 minutes max each time. 

The big sisters are infatuated with her, and won't leave her alone. If I had a nickel for every time I said, "back-up" "get out of her face" "scoot back" "don't touch her head" we would be rich! Margaret almost pulled her bassinet over trying to peer in to see her, and Mary Claire is boosting her immune system by kissing all over her face every chance she gets. But I guess it is better than the alternative. 

First Doctors Appointment went great! Dr Saino (who was my pediatrician growing up) said she looked great! She was marginally jaundice so we got to sun bathe a couple of times a day, and her skin tone was a little red so he was concerned with some kind of blood something, but that came back normal- she is just dark complected like her Pops.

Most of our days we just hang out at home, doing laundry (everything has spit up on it)

  some sewing

 

working on "our" bible study

and maybe running a few errands here and there.

And LOTS of napping...

The big girls go to MDO on Tuesday and Thursday so those days I have gotten to have some sweet one on one time with Sylvia which has been great for both of us. 

Sylvia attended her first of many bike races at just 2 weeks old. Go Daddy Go!

 She even made it on the podium!

Our family doesn't like to stay home on the weekends. We are constantly going and doing things, many of those things include cheering on Daddy at his races. This our life baby girl- hang on tight, it's a fun ride!

I get asked all the time how it is with 3 now, and honestly it is just awesome! 

Yes, it can be trying at times when everyone needs me at once, but Mary Claire is the best "big-helper" {slave labor} and helps me out if I am getting stretched thin.  It's really not any "harder" - just a lot slower. It really takes like 30-45 minutes just to get out the door sometimes. The only "hard" part to me is not being able to clock out at 8pm when the big girls go to bed.

Yes, our hands are full but so is my heart.