Pregnancy: Round 3

This pregnancy has been very comparable to my first two pregnancies. I was about five weeks along when I found out this time and felt AMAZING that whole next week and then six weeks hit with all its first trimester glory of nausea and headaches and extra TV time and tons and tons of backyard play for the kids while I sat in the shade. It also included two migraines which are rare for me to begin with but I've never had a migraine during pregnancy. I know they are not uncommon for a lot of people during pregnancy but it still had me a little freaked out that something was wrong. I feel like I've been worrying about this baby a lot more than I did the first two. I just continue to remind myself that God's plan and timing are not wrong and He is the one in control. I have so much more peace about all of it when I remember that truth.

I actually had a fear, mostly early on, that I was pregnant with twins. I've had that with all of my pregnancies but it was extra strong this time. I had an early ultrasound around seven weeks which showed only one babe in there so that definitely helped put my mind at ease. But I also know they can still miss twins that early so I'm trying not to think about it. But really, I don't really have much reason to believe I'm pregnant with twins. My symptoms haven't been extra bad (other than the early migraines) and my bump is pretty typical size, although some nights it doesn't feel that way!

We told our families and several close friends within the first few weeks of finding out. Some were already starting to guess it and I was showing pretty early. We decided to wait to tell the kids until we were ready for everyone to know. We had so much fun telling them and seeing their reactions. James didn't believe us at first but was SOO excited when he finally did. The entire rest of the night he would lift up my shirt and kiss my belly and hug it. He still asks pretty often if he can give the baby a hug and a kiss.  Samantha is excited too but I don't think she understands it fully. She LOVES babies. She plays with her baby dolls every single day, it is by far her favorite toy. Both kids love real babies and I'm always amazed how good they are with them. I'm so excited to see them with this new little one!

Giving the kids these shirts, including the baby one, was how we told them about the baby. 

Bump kisses the night he found out.

People continue to ask me how I'm feeling which is not awesome but a lot better than in the beginning. I still get headaches but they don't often last too long and some nausea here and there. I don't even know that nausea is an accurate description. I don't feel like I'm going to be sick, but it's almost like a bad taste in my mouth and food just sounds so unappealing. I'm definitely ready to start eating normally again and find myself fantasizing about the normal hunger I'll have and food I'll be able to eat once the baby comes and I'm nursing. Never thought I would find myself fantasizing about that!

Much to my astonishment I started feeling movement around 12-13 weeks. I completely doubted people when they said they could feel baby that early but after being through two previous pregnancies is so much easier to recognize it.  I still have to be sitting very still to feel it and it's only maybe a couple times a day at most. Some days I don't notice any movement at all. I know that will soon change and I'm excited to feel those comforting baby kicks and have the kids and Brian be able to feel them, too.

I'm coming up on 17 weeks already which blows my mind. I remember being in the middle of awful symptoms of weeks six and seven feeling like the end of the first trimester was so.far.away. and the point when I would actually start feeling mostly normal (around the halfway mark) was forever away. And now here I am. Just 4 weeks away from our 20 week ultrasound. Yes, we are finding out the gender and we will be sharing. As usual, the name will be a secret until baby is born.

My biggest concern, which has been a concern for any potential additional children since I had Sam, is that I'm going to have a car baby. James's labor was 4 hours 20 minutes. Sam's was 1 hour 50 minutes. If the trend continues this baby is going to end up a 10 minute unassisted home birth! But seriously, another fast labor would be amazing but I really don't want to have a baby in the car. In the dead of winter. If this labor is anything like my previous ones, I'll be able to recognize the signs the day before so hopefully we can have things in order to leave as soon as contractions hit.

And lastly, due date. Based on when I know I got pregnant my due date is February 3rd. The early ultrasound predicted February 6th. But I think we are all just assuming that baby is coming January 30th. For those who don't know, James had an early September due date and was born on August 30th. Sam's due date was December 1st and came November 30th. Plus Brian's birthday is December 30th and our anniversary is May 30th. So why not add one more!

15 weeks

16 weeks 5 days - Happy Birthday to me :)

Love,

-K