It's a ........!!!

After waiting 21 weeks we now know what we are having!!!!

It's a Girl!!! 

Baby is healthy! 

2nd Trimester - Signs/Symptoms

My second trimester has just come to an end.  I must say that I was feeling pretty good until the last week.  The tiredness has come back and all I want to do it sleep.  During the first part of the trimester I was having some round ligament pain.  But, I got a prenatal massage and that took care of that problem.  I have had some standard swelling in my hands and feet, but nothing to drastic.  Overall, I would say that this trimester hasn't been bad at all.  

We have decide on a name for our baby girl, Aubree Rae!  We love it and are so happy that we have finally made a decision.  It was a long and length process, but we finally came to a compromise.  What we did was picked a name and tried it out for a week.  If by the end of the week we didn't like it anymore we would move on.  Aubree has been going strong for over a month now.  We decide on the middle name Rae in honor of my husband father.  His middle name was Ray, so we have decide to use that name, only using the girl version.  

I am starting to get a little anxious about the baby coming.  Not so much about being a new mommy, but more about the labor.  I know that it will be fine and that women do it everyday.  But, that doesn't change the fact of it being scary.  I guess it's just not know what to expect.  

I did receive a phone call the other day and my cardiologist appointment was moved back a week.  So that makes a total of 10 weeks now that I have had to wait to get in! 

Doctor's Appointment 25 Weeks

This was my last doctor's visit for my 2nd trimester.  Everything looked good with our baby.  She is measuring around 14 inches and weighing around 2lbs.  It's so hard to believe that I'm starting on the downward slop of this pregnancy.  Everyone is right, once you find out the gender it goes by so quickly.  The only thing that was different about this doctor visit was that I have to schedule a glucose tolerance test.  I just need to have it done before I go back next month.  I still haven't scheduled it yet, but I will make sure to write about it.  I really don't know to much of what to expect.  I'm sure it won't be horrible.  Not to much to report about, but I'm sure the next few months are going to be interesting. 

Braxton Hick Contractions at 24 weeks

I woke up this morning after sleeping horribly.  I literally woke up every hour....oh well that's normal for me now.  My husband had just come home from morning PT and I was fixing us breakfast.  All of a sudden I had a horrible cramp, very similar to a menestral cramp.  I would say that it lasted around 20 seconds before it stopped.  I am wondering if this was a Braxton Hick's contraction? 

I know that it's very common to have these during pregnancy.  I looked up online just to make sure it wasn't anything to be concern about.  I read that as long as you don't have 4 or more within an hour or bleeding it's okay.  This was such a huge relief for me to know.  The day is halfway over and I haven't had another one.

So for any women out there that may experience this, it's okay and there is no need to worry.  I would recommend educating yourself on early signs of premature birth especially if you are high risk like myself.  In my case, it is a real possibility that I might deliver early.  I have already read up on many of the signs.  Education is the key.  :)

Problems Sleeping

Up to this point I hadn't had any problems sleeping.  Well I was in for a rude awakening!  It seem as soon as I hit 23 weeks, sleep was all down hill from here.  I can't get comfortable and it doesn't matter what position I try to lay in.  I have never been the type to sleep on my back.  But, I have been waking up in the middle of the night that way.  Usually it's from numbness or tickling in my legs and arms that will wake me up.  I have come to the theory that my stomach is making it hard for me to turn over completely, so I stop on my back.  This past week I have even notice I will wake up on my sides and still have numbness.  I wander if this is normal?  

I tried to read about it online and it suggest to lay on your left side.  But, as I said this isn't working either.  I'm always so tired and have resorted into taking morning naps after my husband leaves for work.  I have been trying to use a body pillow too.  It seems to help sometimes, but not every night.  

Oh and don't forget the multiple times of having to get up to go to the bathroom.  I really think that the baby gets a kick out of using my bladder as her own personal punching bag!  It seems like when I talk to anyone about it they just tell me that it's going to get worse, great!  I have to keep reminding myself that it's only for a short while and well worth it in the end. 

23 WEEKS AND COUNTING

Generosity Of Others

I can't begin to describe all the love that I have feel from family and friends.  We have had so many people helping us out with getting things ready for the baby.  The surprising part about all of it, some people I haven't seen in years or have never met at all.  I guess what it boils down to is that you have people that care and keep you in their thoughts, whether you realize it or not.  

Being a military family we are away from our loved ones.  So we are not able to have a baby shower, there is 1,000 miles traveling distance between us.  It makes things hard and sometimes you can feel like you are missing out.  But, it is what it is.  There is no reason to dwell on it, you just have to try and make the best of what you have. 

My husband came home one evening from work.  He came in carrying boxes of toys, clothes, a bouncer, bottles, etc.  I was so overwhelmed with joy.  I had no idea what was going on, but was just so excited to see baby stuff.  It turned out that a lady he had met once or twice at work was PCSing.  She went through all her baby stuff and decided to give it to us.  I feel so blessed and that God is really looking over us.  It really is true, good things happen to good people.  

Another resource I was told about was the Airman's Attic.  I'm sure that it's called something different depending on what branch you are in.  But, it's a program for military families, under E-6, that offered free clothing (baby/adult), toys, books, etc.  It's a great free program and I have went there to get some things for the baby as well.  I can only go once a month, but it's just another wonderful thing brought on by people and their spirit of giving.  

It's been a worry that we wouldn't have the nursery done in time.  We wanted to be prepared in case I did go into labor early.  But, with the help and generosity of others it's going to be a piece of cake!  

Feeling kicks at 20 weeks!

I had been experiencing flutters for a few weeks now.  But, still hadn't had that big kick everyone had told me about.  I wanted so bad to see the baby kick on the outside.  I wanted my husband to be able to feel the baby, the same way that I was able too.

I had been reading about how important it is to let your baby listen to music.  By this point in the pregnancy the baby is actually able hear.  So one night I grabbed my husband's cellphone and set it on my stomach.  I think I did it more out of curiosity than anything else.  All of a sudden I felt a hard kick that actually made my stomach move!  I was so excited that I told my husband to come here quick!  We set there and watched my stomach, within a few minutes she kicked again.  It was just a small kick, but it was there.  My husband placed his hand there and we waited, she kicked again.  This went on for around 5 minutes and it was over.  I was so happy to be able to experience that with my husband.  It was so magical that I can't describe in words what it really meant to the both of us. 

20 weeks

Gender Reveal - Where having a what...

During the entire pregnancy I had been having dreams about what we were having.  I just knew that we were having a boy.  Every time I talk about the baby, it came out as "him".  It was natural and I knew that my body had to be telling me what we were having.  Every dream was about a boy, only once was there a girl.  My husband felt the same way as I did, we were going to be a having a boy.

We were so certain that we went out and bought a few boy outfits.  We tried to tell ourselves that they were unisex, but they were blue!  The ultrasound was schedule at 17 weeks.  I was so excited to find out for sure what we were having....even though deep down I already knew.

The morning of the doctors appointment I made sure to drink a glass of orange juice.  I wanted to make sure that they baby was active and not being bashful.  As I laid there anticipating the news, I was excited, but felt like I already knew and this was just a confirmation.   The ultrasound tech looks at us and ask if we wanted to know what we were having.  I told her, "it's a boy"!?  She looked at me and said, "No, it's a girl!"  My husband asked if she was sure.  She assured us that it was girl.  We were in complete shock.  The doctor came in to look over everything and make sure the baby looked healthy.  We ask him to tell us what he thought the baby was, he confirmed it was a girl. 

When the visit was over it hit me, I was having a baby girl!  

Flutters!

My first trimester is officially over!  I can't believe the relief I feel knowing that the chances of miscarriage have dropped so drastically.  I can actually start to enjoy my pregnancy more too.  My symptoms have subsided and I am starting to get my energy back.  I actually feel normal again.  My doctors appointment went well and the baby is developing normally. 

I had been reading about feeling those first movements.  That it will occur sometime during the 2nd trimester.  But, with me just starting week 14, I just knew it would be a while before that would happen.  Plus, with this being my first pregnancy the chances of me knowing what those movements were was very slim.  

One evening I was laying on the couch watching T.V.  Then all of a sudden I felt something weird in my belly.  Could it be the baby?  A few minutes later I felt it again.  It was the most magical feeling in the world.  To me it felt like someone tickling me, but from the inside.  As the week goes by I only feel the baby every few days.  I began to worry about the lack of movement.  But, then I read that it was normal to feel the baby only a few times and then go days without feeling it again.  Every time I was able to feel the baby it was wonderful.  I can't wait for those first kicks!  

14 weeks