Closing out 2nd Trimester

The second trimester is nearing and end and I am getting BIG! July has been quite a full month. This week I finally had my glucose screen, after it was rescheduled twice. I will hopefully find out the results in a few days. The house is now taking shape since our new furniture is here. My next step will be making room for baby boy clothes and items. We have started to receive some hand-me-downs and I really need to create some space for this kiddo.

Last week I was sick with what was diagnosed as a likely sinus infection. I took 7 days of antibiotics and am finally feeling better. I am sad that I have had two infections now in my pregnancy. I am trying to stay healthy for my little guy. I have been eating a lot of ice cream lately. My biggest craving is Peanut Butter Chocolate Hagan Daaz. I am going to start limiting myself from it and shying away from dairy a bit better.

The heat here is now in the triple digits and that is making my mobility a bit labored. I have struggled with work due to visiting people who either do not use their A/C or have broken A/C units. It has been tough to counsel in some of the conditions I have been in. I really hope the next 12 weeks isn't as bad as this past week has been.

Tonight I attended a concert with my friend Elizabeth. We saw one of my favorites, Edwin McCain. It was the 5th time I have seen him in concert and it was wonderful. Baby boy was wiggling around in there and I think he enjoyed the music as well. I wore a long magenta dress, one that I also wore when I was pregnant with Ruby. I have been doing a lot of Thrift store shopping for Maternity clothes. I enjoy getting bargains at Savers and having some different items to add into my maternity wardrobe.

We leave for vacation in a little under 3 weeks and I will also be turning 33! Time is flying by. October will be here before we know it. My friends are planning a Baby Sprinkle for me in September.

Summer fun

We are here almost mid-July and things are moving along. Nick has been to Chile and back and Ruby and I went to Michigan for several days over the holiday. We had a great time at The Cottage and spending time with Grandma & Grandpa and Sarah. I enjoyed kayaking on the lake and resting.

Tomorrow I will hit the 25 week mark...15 weeks to go.

I have been having a rough time with back and leg pain. I hope that I can keep it under control for the next few months. We finally got a new bed and furniture, including a recliner/glider. Helps to put my legs up. I am looking forward to rocking and nursing my baby boy in this chair!

Other than that, we are just doing normal life. I am working in my side practice and Nick is finishing up his semester at Texas State. We have a big family trip planned next month and it will be a fun vacation for us as we near closure to our chapter of life as a family of three.

We still can't believe we are having a son! He is moving and grooving in there and my chiropractor said he is sitting on my back, maybe causing some of the pain. I just hope that when the time is right he can position himself head down and ready to go just like his sister did.

Still kicking

Baby boy is moving a lot! It is really fun to get a subtle reminder that there is a little growing person inside my body. Still mind-boggling when you really think about that! I had my appointment on Monday with Dr. Chao and it went well. The heart rate was about 143 and there was nothing else really to report. At my next appointment, I will do the dreaded glucose screen. Ugh! I am not looking forward to that, but hopefully this time, I will only have to do it once.

Nick has been in Chile for a few days now and Ruby and I are flying solo. We have kept quite busy with projects and meeting up with friends. We have a full agenda this weekend, but do look forward to Nick's return on Thursday of next week. Ruby has been breaking in some baby toys that Elizabeth handed down and I think will be quite pleased to teach baby brother a lot about the world. Ruby is referring to herself as "big Sister" when she talks about herself now. It is pretty cute. She likes to kiss the belly every morning and night.

I am still trying to get my workouts in and here I am at the gym this week. I feel like my belly has really grown in the last couple weeks. I can feel the shift in my center of gravity and certainly a limitation in my flexibility. I am really tired by the night's end and want to lay down a lot. My back continues to hurt, and I am sure kickboxing does not help that!

I also just purchased my first baby item. I bought him one of my favorite baby blankets that was also gifted to Ruby by Yaso. His little Tourance blankie should be here next week or so. I can't wait to see him on it.

21 weeks at the Gym

Wedding Travels

We traveled to New York last week for the wedding of my friend, Yaso, from college. I met Yaso the first week of class as freshman at UT-Austin. She and I were in the same Calculus II class and I credit her with helping me survive that course, and not completely failing. She and I stayed in touch over the past 15 years. I visited her in San Francisco after we both graduated, and she came to our wedding there in 2009.  The wedding was a beautiful multi-cultural affair. At 20 weeks pregnant, I was feeling good and had a blast on the dance floor. I enjoyed wearing this long purple gown and feeling beautiful as my pregnant self. Beside the wedding, we stayed busy. We met my cousin, Stella in NYC the day we arrived and had a great dinner. Then on Saturday we took the train to Beacon and had a hike with the wedding party. The next day we went to an art museum, Dia: Beacon, and a strawberry festival before the ceremony. 

I am starting to feel the baby move around a lot more and that is exciting. I continue to have back pain and have to go to the bathroom so often, but I know that is to be expected. Nick is on cloud nine to be having a son. He couldn't sleep after finding out the news...he was so excited! We don't have anything definitive on names yet. Yesterday, when I asked Ruby what we should name him, she responded, "Botticelli." That is an interesting one!

Nick is in Chile now for 2 weeks with his Texas State study abroad program. He left last night. I go to the doctor on Monday for another check-up.  Overall, I feel quite good and have good energy. Ruby and I have been staying busy and doing most of our normal routine.

Our Son

This morning we went in for the anatomy scan at 19w 3d. Nick and I both waited patiently for the tech to bring up the pics that would reveal the baby's sex to us. At the last moment, I anticipated it would be a girl. When she told us it was a boy, Nick was so excited and had tears of joy! He got his boy!!! I was happy too, but also a little bit like "oh my gosh! this is unchartered territory for me!" I don't know about boys! I know about girls!

She finished up the appointment and measured all the parts. She said that the baby is in the 46th percentile, which is awesome. He weighs apx 11 oz right now and has 10 fingers and 10 toes. His heartbeat was 145. Everything seems to be going well for the little guy. We were quick to inform our family and friends of the news. Everyone was of course excited for us.

Ruby was at school when we found out so we waited until we were both home from work to let her know that she was going to have a brother. I was nervous about how she would handle it, as she has expressed several times over the last months that she "doesn't like boys" and that "boys smell." I stopped at Toys-R-Us on my way home and found a newborn babydoll Cabbage Patch kid that was a boy. We presented it to her when we told her and she was actually fine with the news. She just wanted to play with her new babydoll! She took a bath with him and fed him and changed his diaper. She is really going to be a loving big sister I think!

Busy as a bee

18 weeks hitting it hard at the gym

My 17 week appointment was uneventful.  I met with the Doctor and the heartbeat was 150 BPM. I had blood work drawn and then scheduled the anatomy scan. That means next time I go in, we will find out what we are having...Boy or Girl! That is set for June 6, so its just over 1 week away. We are very excited.

I was thinking it was going to be a boy, but then now I feel more like it will be a girl. My acupuncturist told me she believes I am having a girl based on my pulses in each wrist. We will soon find out.

My itching has subsided quite a bit, which is nice! My most significant complaint now is my back pain. I have a lot of lower back discomfort and I think that is probably just par for the course as everything is expanding and stretching a lot.

We have been staying busy as a family. We recently bought new furniture for our living room. We got a really nice recliner that will be perfect for the baby because it rock and swivels. And we finally bought a king size bed set so we will have room to sleep all together if that is what needs to happen, although I am working hard to get Ruby transitioned into her own bed.

Big Sis testing out baby products

Ruby has taken a liking to Nick's CPR Dummy Baby and is practicing being a big sister. She has been dressing the baby and even disciplining the baby.

First time at the pool with Baby

Itchy Mama

Mother's Day Roses

For a little over a week I have been dealing with extremely itchy skin and terrible scalp itch. It started up a couple days after my last OB appointment and so I went back in that Friday. I met with another doctor who was puzzled by it. There was no rash and the itching was all over my body, but worse on the scalp. I thought I had lice at first!

They tested my blood to make sure there was not a problem with my liver, which can result in a dangerous condition for the baby which presents with mom itching. Luckily my liver and bile tests all came back fine. I am relieved that I do not have some rare condition and I can suffer through with whatever this is as long as I have a healthy baby. The itching is still there but it has subsided a bit, I think! I also think that maybe this is a sign that I am having a boy. I didn't have this symptom with Ruby and a couple people I have heard of had crazy itch with their boy pregnancies, but not with their girls. Additionally, I have had a total of 3 dreams now where I delivered a baby boy. Could it be? We wait.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and it was a nice, but uneventful day. Nick had to work so Ruby and I spent the day out and about shopping and then I came back and cleaned up the house a bit. It was so nice to have a day off work and to actually have the time to clean my house. We Facetimed with Diana and baby Emmet, which was fun. I also had a pretty rough work week so it came as a really nice surprise when I won a $200 Amazon gift card from a Mother's Day campaign I entered on social media. I am thinking I may use that to buy a new stroller, one that Ruby can stand and ride.

I have been back at it in the 9Round Gym and enjoying the workouts. My back is hurting a bit and so I think it is probably time to pay another visit to the chiropractor. Its already May and summer plans are taking shape. Nick and I will go to NYC in June and Ruby and I will take a trip to Michigan over the 4th of July. I am really looking forward to that. I have a feeling this baby is going to be here before we know it because we have so much planned between now and delivery date. Life is good.