20 Weeks

Each week I cannot believe how far along I'm getting! 20 weeks... I'm halfway there!!!
I feel really good. I've been a little tired lately but I've also been very busy. I went to the doctor yesterday. Everything looks good, I'm actually like a normal pregnant woman, it still shocks me everyday! Carrying one baby is SO much easier. Triplets was so hard...I was getting very sick this time 4 years ago and pretty much stayed on the couch all day long...I couldn't do anything. I'm anxious to get beyond 21 weeks 3 days, the day my girls were born. I will be anxious to experience pregnancy beyond that date because it will be a new experience.

My anxiety level has been so low which I thought would get worse around 20 weeks but I'm checking my blood pressure twice a day and will now see my doctor once a week. I'm being watched closely so I don't feel so alone. It also helps to talk to other woman about weird things that are happening to me because they'll tell me it's completely normal. For a while I was freaking out that my right hand was falling asleep every night and taking forever to wake up. It's pregnancy induced carpal tunnel and very normal. My shoes aren't fitting, not because I'm swollen, but because feet grow in pregnancy. Pregnancy is so hard on the woman's body. Some days I feel like I'm being chewed up only to be spit back out again. Exactly the way I felt with the triplets, I was left with a ragged body and stretch marks all the way to the neck. At least this time I will have a beautiful little baby to show for it all as opposed to nothing but scars inside and out. This is different pregnancy and a different experience. I had such a horrible, bad taste about pregnancy; an experience filled with nothing but pain and heartache that I feel like I'm being shown it doesn't have to be that way. I feel like I'm being shown that it can be a beautiful wonderful experience and that I will get to experience LIFE in the end. It is going to be wonderful wonderful thing, I just know it! I'm so grateful this Thanksgiving for this little miracle inside of me. He's doing so well and getting stronger in his kicks. I love that I know that it's a boy, I love hearing his heart beat, and I love feeling his kicks. I love it when Magnolia rubs my stomach, I love the thought of her being a big sister, and I love the thought of being a family of four. Ah, the surprises life brings you and unbelievable blessings! I am so so thankful this Thanksgiving. Wishing you all a very very Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm due for another photo, hopefully I'll get George to take one soon. I don't think I've grown too much more but I'm trying to take photos every 4 weeks. Check back soon!

19 Weeks

The past week has been wonderful. I've been so relaxed and positive with our recent good news. I continue to feel good. Pretty great actually. Tired at the end of the day but my days have been busy so it would be expected. The baby's movements aren't consistent yet but it really is fun to feel him move!

We are having a boy in case you didn't know! I am so excited to have a boy! My sister recently reminded me that I always wanted a boy. I had long forgotten about that. You know when you get married and you plan out all the children you'll have with their names picked out? That was way back when I was naive and thought things worked that way. I always wanted to have a boy. I always imagined having a rotten little boy. A mama's boy. Even when we went to find out the sexes of the triplets I was convinced they were boys and shocked to find out they were all girls! I'm not excited to have a boy because after this we'll be done and then we'll have a boy and a girl and life will be perfect. We want more than 2. I don't know how to explain why I'm so excited to have a boy. I'm sure I'd feel the same if they told me it was a girl but a boy will be different. Different in so many ways...

Since I thought we'd be right back to China to adopt another daughter, I decorated the nursery with that thought in mind, that it would be a nursery for girls for a long time. I should know better by now to know things never work out they way you think they will. It won't be that big of a deal to redecorate and I'm actually looking forward to it as well as putting together Magnolia's Big Girl Room. This weekend we are starting the process by cleaning out all of the closets in this house to make room for baby. Once that's done we can move furniture around and do the fun stuff. I'll post our progress.

We're Having....

You may have wondered.

You may have guessed.

You might want to know that we knew all along...

THAT

We're having....

A BOY!!!

The perinatologist told us he was 80% sure on our last visit at 13 weeks. We didn't share the news (with the exception of immediate family) in case he was wrong. The ultrasound was great. I was so nervous beforehand. My knees were so weak I could hardly walk. Right away the peri put me at ease and confirmed it was a boy immediately! We're so excited to have a boy! At the end of the exam he said everything looked great and the blood flow looked normal. He really doesn't think I will get preeclampsia anytime soon although he can't guarantee I won't get it after 32 weeks. Fine with me, as long as I don't have a baby born too premature, especially too premature to survive outside the womb. What a HUGE relief for us both. We were on cloud nine walking out of that room. Magnolia slept in George's arms the whole time so it was especially relaxing. I had an appointment with my OB right after. She still wants me to monitor my blood pressure twice daily. My blood pressure today was 120/80 and I only gained 4 lbs. this time, yeah! Oh, one more thing. The baby is large, he's in the 94th percentile. My O.B. wants to keep an eye on that which of course now has me worried. George keeps reminding me that he was 9lbs. Yikes. :) I'm very happy and relaxed today not to mention that I've been feeling the baby move in the past few days which is awesome!

Magnolia is going to have a baby brother!!! Ahh..now I can sit back and relax for a while and do some fun things like decorate the nursery and think about boy names!!! Yeah, I'm so very happy!!!

17 Weeks

Today I am 17 weeks. Wow, time is passing and I'm feeling good. A week from today will be a BIG day. I have my very important ultrasound with the perinatologist. He will decipher whether or not I will get preeclampsia again by monitoring the blood flow to my uterus. I have been pretty nervous about this lately but I suddenly switched gears today and saw the positive in this test. Positive on both ends. Could be that I won't get preeclampsia again and that will be the best news ever. Could be that I will get preeclampsia again but at least then I'll know. I'll be prepared for it and take all the precautions necessary. I should be grateful this exam exists! It certainly wasn't around 4 years ago...

The other reason this will be a big day is because we'll be finding out the sex!!! We're super excited for that. Stay tuned, I will try to post the results next Tuesday.

Today is also election day. Four years ago today I was also 17 weeks pregnant and voted in the 04 election. I stood in line at the same school to vote. I was big and uncomfortable. Today was great, I felt great and Magnolia and I stood in line together eating M&Ms. It was her first election! I dressed her in red, white, and blue and told her someday I will tell her all about it.

Since it was such an unseasonably warm day (a record breaker) we went to our nursery and picked out some tulips to plant for the baby so that when the baby arrives in the spring so will the tulips. I also did this 4 years ago for the triplets. Ironically in the spring the tulips never came up and haven't since. I choose to plant red tulips this time rather than white. Hopefully I'll have a baby and tulips in the spring...

P.S. Thank you for all your sweet comments on my 16 week photo, you really boosted my confidence and Emily, you really made me laugh! Thank you!

16 Week Photo