Wild Ride

It's been kind of wild around here. Sib is getting antsy to be in our arms and it's a bit too early. About a week and a half ago (a day before 33 weeks) we think Sib tried to start the grand appearance. I was having a lot of contractions. My midwife told me to get into a tub of Epsom salts and take a bath to see if they would subside. It was just Creed and me at home so it was kind of nutty/funny. He wanted to get in the tub with me; I told him if he could get all his clothes off he could jump in and he decided to forget about the whole idea. For almost 20 minutes he took his rinsing cup and poured warm water over me. It was such a sweet blessing--he really comforted me a lot. He did get a little annoyed that I wouldn't let him wash my hair. :o)

Things didn't stop and we went to Labor of Love. They checked our heartbeats, my blood pressure and sent us on to University Community Hospital. I spent a little over an hour in triage by myself until the Wilsons picked Creed up and Kyle was allowed to join me. I feel like every reason we chose to be at a birthing center this time around only became more clear during our brief hospital visit. They gave me a shot to stop the contractions and we got to go home about 6.5 hours after we arrived.

My parents came over for a few days to take care of us all. I was on bed rest until the following Monday and will be on partial bed rest until Jan 11th. We are hoping/praying/trying to keep Sib put until that day.

So, it's been interesting. I can't wait to meet my baby and I hope I get to wait until at least the 11th!

Hiccups Galore

Sib has started getting the hiccups at least once a day. Each one momentarily morphs my entire stomach into other-worldly shapes. Creed was loving on Sib the other day and got a swift kick to the face. He laughed and tried to get me to do it again.

Creed got ahold of Kyle's cell phone charger this week and led me to the couch where he had me sit down. He then lifted my shirt and proceeded to put the outlet end of the charger in my bellybutton and the cell-side of the charger in his ear. I made fake heartbeat sounds and he started cheering. I can't wait to see him interact with his little Sibling once Baby is born.

I am starting to feel very pregnant. Officially in the third trimester now, I am hit with difficulty sleeping, heartburn no matter what I do, and big feet. :) I am thankful that Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas are all right around the corner. They are welcome distractions for the last few months of pregnancy. Everything goes by faster when there is fun to be had!

More Baby Pics!

We had our second ultrasound today (the first was at the very beginning to date the pregnancy). Baby is 23 weeks... except for Baby's legs which are about 25 weeks, according to the sonographer. :) They "decide" how far along you are by doing some main body measurements and everything measured on target at 23 weeks except for two very long legs! The technician said the legs are due in Jan and the rest of the baby has to wait until Feb. :)

The pics aren't that good, but during the exam it was clear that Sib looks even more like Kyle than Creed did at this point. Baby has a very pronounced chin, Kyle's long, regal nose, and a long face with a prominent forehead. Those must be some strong Truman genes!

Little Mover

Sib is increasingly busy (and big) in my belly. Creed hasn't been feeling well and has taken a few naps in my arms recently so he can sit up and breathe, and Sib has gone to town kicking Big Brother. :) There is something incredibly precious about having both of my children so close in my arms.

We moved our ultrasound back two weeks--it's now scheduled for Oct 8th. Our insurance year restarts in Oct, so we decided to postpone the sonogram until Oct so that we are paying into the birth year's deductible. Cha-ching!

I am starting to feel better. Kyle commented yesterday that he had forgotten what it's like to have me around happy/not in pain. I got some super sexy support shorts that I will be wearing 24/7 (yes, Amanda, I can take them off for showers and I will wash them every 3 days as directed). They help support my hips, belly and pelvic floor.

My 'manda came over this past weekend and kicked butt in Sib's room. We now have a strong tree growing (in paint) over the place where the crib will be. It looks awesome; I can't wait to finish up the nursery now.

PSD Update

The more Kyle and I find out about pubic symphisis disorder (PSD), the more discouraged we become. Please keep us in your prayers!

My midwife said that a lot of women with PSD end up in a wheelchair before their baby is born (PSD usually goes away after birth). It generally gets worse throughout the pregnancy and increases in subsequent pregnancies.

My sweet Amanda is going to come paint the nursery for me. Yay for friends!

ouch :(

Today I had my 19-week appointment. Baby's heartbeat was strong (in the 150's). Sib is a squirmer--the midwife had a task keeping the monitor in place with that little stinker dashing across my uterus. We go back in 2 weeks for a sonogram. We're excited to see this little one!

I have been in a lot of pain over the past few weeks. I was diagnosed with pubic symphisis disorder (PSD) which, from everything I am reading on the subject, is absolutely no fun. I am concerned about the 21 weeks ahead and glad that we are as settled as we are since I may not be able to do much more around the house. I'm praying that seeing the chiropractor will keep me from getting worse than I am. At this point, the only other thing I can try are some shorts made specifically to support the areas where my ligaments are too relaxed (PSD is caused by too much relaxin making the ligaments in the pelvic region very "loose" and allowing the bones to slip out of their regular positions).

Hungry!

I have been so hungry recently, it's wild! I feel like I'm eating 8 meals a day. :) No wonder the baby is doubling in size and weight this week. I'm guessing at my next appointment I will weigh more. So far, I haven't gained anything (actually lost 8lbs my first trimester).

I felt the baby move (externally) on Thursday for the first time. Kyle got to feel it for a while when we went to bed that night. I love being able to share our baby with him in new ways.

We're kind of wishy-washy on our baby names. We need to have more kids to use these names up!