Pregnancy #2

Well, I failed at the weekly pictures this pregnancy. We started and then of course life took over and I wasn't very consistent. Here are the ones I did get.

20 Weeks

24 Weeks

25 Weeks

26 Weeks

27 Weeks

30 Weeks

I hate that 30 week picture, but I took it, so up it goes. Then there is a gap to these last few weeks.

38 Weeks

39 Weeks

Similarities from my last pregnancy

- My first trimester was spent sleeping. I didn't really get morning sickness, I was just tired all the time. Luckily Tyler was home on summer break, so I got to nap pretty much as needed.

- I didn't feel the baby move for a long time. I don't know if my babies just are small, but it wasn't until much later that I really felt him move.

- I didn't have too many cravings. In my second trimester I loved fresh fruits and vegetables. Namely cherry tomatoes and cucumbers with ranch dressing. In these last couple of weeks, I can't get enough chocolate. On the drive down to California all I wanted was a fudge-y BYU type brownie, unfortunately it was no where to be found.

- As the end has come closer I've gotten calf cramps at night. I now make sure not to point my toes or stretch when I wake up to change positions at night.

- My emotions haven't been too out of control

Differences from my last pregnancy

- I stayed a lot more active. I was able to continue going to crossfit until about week 38 (at which point I could've kept going but after the workout I'd be completely drained for a few days after). Of course I modified things as necessary. I think this was a  huge, huge, HUGE benefit to my pregnancy. I didn't gain nearly as much weight. I was able to keep up with Kaiewa better. I felt better overall. 

- I had weeks of major food aversion. At every meal I would think to myself- "If I could eat anything at all what would it be?" The answer every time was n-o-t-h-i-n-g. 

- I caught bug after bug. I came down with a stomach bug 2-3 times. I caught a cold twice. Then for a few weeks there it was never ending congestion.

- I haven't had water retention and swelling like I did with Kaiewa. I attribute that to the fact of a winter vs summer pregnancy.

- I've had more heartburn in these last couple of weeks then I remember having with Kaiewa.

- I've had Braxton Hicks

- For weeks my right sciatic nerve and left upper back killllled me. 

- I pee all the time.

- This boy gets the hiccups allll the time. He is always bouncing around in there. 

- I've had these sudden lightening shots in my thighs. I don't know what the baby is doing but it's almost like he just finds a spot and head butts it. They only last a second or two, but man when it happens it is crazy.

- We've really shied away from a specific due date. I set in my mind early in this pregnancy that this baby would come in the general time frame of the end of February. Of course there is a specific date I was given, but I've really conditioned myself to the end of February. If he comes earlier, great! If not, I won't be nearly as upset as last time.

- I haven't had as many questions at my check ups. At first I thought this frustrated my midwife, but then I realized that she understood that I just had a baby not to long ago so there wasn't much I'd forgotten.

- Though the last few weeks of pregnancy are uncomfortable just for the sake of how big the baby is and how much room he is taking up, I am not nearly as miserable as I was with Kaiewa at this point in his pregnancy. Again I attribute that to it being winter, but also to not having gained as much weight.

Birthing Choices

As far as birthing choices I've kind of kept these on the down low because I just haven't wanted to hear unsupportive things. We've continued using a midwife, and I've also been brushing up my HypnoBabies tools to use during birth. We decided against retaking the class from an instructor and to just read through the manual and do the practice as suggested at the end of each section of the manual. I feel like things are coming back to me, and I'm excited to see the difference between the two deliveries. I will most likely have another water birth because I really loved it with Kaiewa. The big thing that I haven't talked about much is the fact that we are having a home birth. I am really excited about it, so if you have bad things to say (sorry this may sound rude) please keep them to yourself. I really loved the birth center. It was perfect for my first birth. It gave me the comfort I needed to feel safe with the unknowns of childbirth. However, this time I know how my body works during delivery, and honestly last time all that happened at the birth center was the actual arrival of the baby. I did everything else at home. So I thought, what's the use in making a drive, when I can stay home and do the same thing.

Other than that we continue to wait for this little guy to join us. Any suggestions on transitioning to two kids and/or ways to help Kaiewa with the transition would be greatly appreciated! We'll keep you posted on his arrival, and then his birth story!