Whathuh? What happened to the second tri? I mean, I vaguely remember the first tri passing in a blur of exhaustion and nausea, but the second tri lasted all of three weeks. Literally. We had time to paint baby girl's big-girl room, and order her furniture. There was a blissful period of a way-overactive sex drive which has now, woefully, tapered back down to normal ranges. And that day we found out Dos is a boy and perfectly healthy . . . okay, so maybe the second tri lasted four weeks. But 13??? Impossible.
And yet somehow we have 13 new weekly belly pics on my hard drive, documenting my growing belly, my growing baby, our growing future.
Somehow my pregnancy countdown ticker now shows there are only 89 days to go until my due date. EIGHTY-NINE. As in, not just double digits, but double digits that start with an EIGHT.
Somehow I passed my V-day, the viability thresh hold that marks when Dos would start to have a fighting chance in the outside world if, heaven forbid, something should happen to bring him out early.
Is this what it's going to be like after he's born, too? Time moving at an all-together-too-fast pace, passing in a blur of keeping all our many balls in the air?
I am happy to say, even though I look back and wonder where the time went, I know that I've been enjoying this pregnancy each and every second. I said it the first time around and I'll say it this time as well: I love being pregnant. I love the way my body looks. I love resting my hand distractedly on my belly as I sit and work. I love feeling my child kick and roll and punch and hiccup inside me. So yes, life passes all together too quickly. But I know I've been enjoying the hell out of it even as it rushes by.
So yeah. Third tri. Crazy, huh?
We had an amazing anatomy scan a month ago, getting to check out every bit and piece of my son (SON! After 11 weeks, that is still crazy to say), who is perfectly healthy and amazing in every way. We got to see him in 3D and I totally teared up. He is adorable. He has my nose, my daughter's nose. My kids already look like siblings.
Check out my positively adorable little man:
I am already so in love.
I have my next appointment in less than a week, and with it another ultrasound (LOVE my doctor's office!!!). In our minds, this will be the last "just for fun" ultrasound that we get. Not that ANY of the ultrasounds are really just for fun. They all have medical reasons, things that they are checking on. What I mean is that after this, the next ultrasound that we'll get will be to determine game-time conditions. 36 weeks. So this one is the last time we'll get to see our son in utero without the stress and pressure of knowing that his arrival is impending. The last time we get to just lay back and smile and watch him kick around. (Oh, and it's also the last of my monthly doctor's appointments. After this, I'll go every three weeks a couple of times, then after two weeks, and then ONCE A WEEK 'TIL THE END. I cannot believe I'm already to this point.)
Our preparations are coming along nicely, though as always happens, there is more to do than we originally thought. Yes, baby girl's big girl room is just about ready. But after that we still have to wash and sort all the boy clothes we've had handed down to us and go through all of baby girl's newborn clothes to pull out anything gender-neutral enough to use again. We still have to pull back out, wipe down, and put together the infant accoutrements that we'll need once again. We still have to think about things like new bottles and breast pump parts. We still have to boy-up the nursery. But in general, I feel pretty good about where we are as far getting ready. We won't be all the way done, ready, and waiting at 30 weeks like we'd hoped, but we'll be pretty close. Go us.
We have no name yet. We have successfully narrowed our list down to our top 3 choices, but I don't really know where to go from there. We may do that thing where we just don't decide until he's here, until we can meet him and see him and see if that gives us any clues or nudges in one name direction or another. Seeing as how we had Alina's name picked out the day we found out she was a she at 16 weeks, our families are trying hard to be patient this time around, but it is still a constant question.
As for the birth preparation, we are preparing. We are reading the hypnobabies material. I am listening to my daily positive thinking CD. In general I'm feeling much calmer about the whole VBAC scenario than I was a few weeks ago. We still have a lot of questions for the doctor to cover at our next appointment. We still have some research to do. Of course, it all depends on Dos--on his turning head down and face to the back when it's show time. But I can't control those things, so I'm focusing on what I can control: my attitude and thought process about the whole thing. As an added bonus, the other really great thing about the relaxation and positive-thinking work I've been doing is that it's also helped me really accept and move on from the way baby girl's birth happened. It's one thing to be at peace with it, which is where I've been for the last year or so. But it's another thing to say I've really accepted it.
So, that's where I am. Sorry for the long and rambly post. That's what happens when I only blog about the pregnancy once every two months. There's a lot to catch up on!
To recap: V-day! Healthy! Getting ready! Double digits! Third trimester! Last just-for-fun ultrasound! Last monthly appointment! eeeeeeek!!!
How far along?: 27 weeks
Total weight gain: I don't know. As of my 24-week appointment, I was at 18 pounds. I'm not really all that worried about it. I eat healthy. I walk when I can. I am taking care of myself and that's what really matters. The weight gain is just a number that I will work on reversing after Dos is here.
How big is baby?: He was an estimated 1 pound, 8 ounces at my last appointment, so I'm sure he's well up over two by now.
Maternity clothes?: Yep, and now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm able to break out a lot of the stuff I wore last time around. Yay for skirts and sundresses!
Stretch marks?: Still nada. The belly balm has become an after-shower ritual. Even if it doesn't do anything, I still like how soft it makes my skin feel!
Sleep?: Medium. I can't stay in a single position for two long without getting achey, so I spend most of the night tossing and turning from side to side. When I am actually sleeping, though, it's delicious.
Best moment this week?: The best moment of every week is feeling my baby move around inside me. Have I already mentioned how much I love being pregnant?
Movement?: All the time. He's finally stretched out a bit so now I'm getting movement from my upper stomach all the way down to the bottom. It's a much more intense feeling than it was with baby girl since I have a posterior placenta this time. Amazing.
Food cravings?: No, and a hint of a whisper of the food aversions have crept back in. There were a couple of days last week when I hardly ate a thing because everything sounded so gross. I'm trying to just listen to my body and give it what it wants and not force on it anything it doesn't want.
Labor signs?: None yet.
Belly button in or out?: My ever-evolving belly button, how I love thee. It changes daily depending on how Dos is positioned. Sometimes the middle of it sticks out while the outside edges are still recessed, like a little castle with a moat around it. Sometimes it's just flat. Sometimes it's a traditional innie. It's a constant source of amusement for me, but the weird thing is that I don't like anyone touching it. It feels too weird.
What I miss: Chocolate. And having a beer or two with friends. And really hard workouts. Soon!
What I'm looking forward to: Our 28-week appointment.
Milestone: So many this time around--V-day, double digits, third tri, oh my!
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