A very scary comparison

I have felt like I am bigger with this baby than I was with Eli... now I have proof!



Current picture -- 25 weeks



Pregnant with Eli -- ~24 weeks



Pregnant with Eli -- ~29 weeks

It's a...

...boy?!?! Not that I am upset, mind you. I just thought that it was a girl. Maybe it was all of the "baby sister" talk with Eli. Boy, is he confused now!

I must say that the thought of two boys running around is exciting and terrifying, all at the same time. I mean, I barely know what to do with one. Most days I feel like Eli has three times the number of hands that I do, because they seem to get into trouble faster than I can fix the previous disaster. But I think that it will be so much fun, Eli will really enjoy having a little brother, and I can't wait to see this little one following Eli around and imitating everything that he does.

The pregnancy is going pretty well. I have lots of energy (which is good because I need it). My belly is pretty big (much bigger than with Eli at this point), but I have actually put on very little weight. Like 5 pounds. Guess that I just lost a bunch of muscle during the first trimester. I am trying to put some muscle back on, though. I have started light strenth training again and have been doing cardiokickboxing for the past couple of weeks. The problem with the big belly is that I can only eat small amounts at a time, so I graze pretty much all day.

Sleeping has been an issue. I am a little uncomfortable when I am trying to get to sleep, but a pillow between the knees helps a lot. My biggest complaint is that I wake up almost every night at 4am, and then I can't go back to sleep. For hours. This morning I never got back to sleep, and I had stayed up until 11:30 the night before. The odd thing is that I am not tired, even though it is now almost 10pm. Told you that I had a lot of energy. I have been having some wierd, violent dreams, too, though that has nothing to do with my inability to sleep. Very disturbing.

It also seems that this baby is much like his big brother. He is very active. He also seems to rest in the mornings and be active evening and night. Great. I was REALLY hoping for another child that doesn't sleep. Maybe that is why I am already developing the ability to survive on a few hours rest. It is God's way of saying, "You'd better get used to it..."

I will post some of the lastest ultrasound pics as soon as I have a chance to scan them in. Keep an eye out for them!

More pictures

A 3D picture... kinda creepy.



Front view of the face. Tilt your head to the left.






Baby Boy Wolf at 19 weeks.

Here's what's happening

I am not sure EXACTLY when the second trimester starts (I have conflicting sources of information), so let's say that it starts.....

Now.

In general I feel really good. Morning sickness is gone, as is the need to take a nap every afternoon and still fall asleep by 9pm. My energy level is great, and I am enjoying working out again, though it saddens me that I have lost most of my endurance and muscle definition. I am still able to run a couple of miles, though, despite my growing belly.

I have been in maternity clothes since about week 8, and it is not that I really had THAT big of a belly that quickly, but enough that my regular clothes didn't fit comfortably. And really all I want is to be comfortable.

Did I mention, no more morning sickness? Which, by the way, lasted ALL DAY LONG. I actually lost weight during my first trimester, which is a stark contrast to the 12 or 13 that I put on with Eli. I had a couple of weeks where I ate nothing but milk and crackers. The thing that really turns my stomach? Red meat. Especially ground beef. Oddly, this is still the case. The thought of eating a hamburger is enough to send me running to the bathroom. I also still have some issues with toothpaste, and oftentimes have to use Chris' sensitive teeth brand because the mint is very mild. But in general, I am always hungry and can (and do) eat just about anything.

Around 11 1/2 weeks I felt the baby move for the first time. At least, I am pretty sure it was the baby. At that stage it is hard to tell if it is baby or gas, but I am pretty sure it was baby. Of course, now I definitely know that I am feeling little squirms and kicks, which is very reassuring. I always am nervous at the early ultrasounds until they find a heartbeat, because I am afraid that there will not be one there. Now that I can feel the baby, I do not worry so much. The frequent kicks in the bladder remind me our little one is still alive and, well, kicking.




Belly shots at 13 weeks, 5 days. Until I saw the pictures I thought my belly was bigger, but it could be that it just looks small compared to the size of my butt. Maybe it is just the jeans....

Who says you have fewer pictures of the second child?

For those of you that are counting, this makes ultrasound #3.

And I am only 13 weeks along.



Why so many ultrasounds, you ask? Well, ultrasound number one occurred because the nurse did not believe me when I told her my ovulation date and my due date. According to her charts, I should have been due October 5th. Guess which one of has was correct (to the day, I might add).

Ultrasound number two was actually standard of care. They offer an early genetic screen between 11 weeks and 13 weeks 6 days to screen for trisomy 13,18, and 21 (down's syndrome). This is done by measuring the nuchal translucency on the back of the baby's neck and having a couple of blood tests.

Ultrasound number three was the result of a failed second ultrasound,which was done when I was 11 1/2 weeks pregnant. When I came in, the tech said, "I don't know why they schedule them this early because most of the time we are not able to get a measurement." At least we got some good pictures out of the deal, and we met our deductible with the first ultrasound, so everything else from here on out is free (because insurance is just that simple, right?).

In case you were wondering, all of the test results were normal and everything looks great. The ultrasound is a side profile of the face and upper body. It is hard to see, but the baby is facing the left.

Second ultrasound

Pictures from the ultrasound on 4/4/07. Eli is convinced it is a girl, as he keeps calling it "baby sister".



This is a hand. Kind of hard to see, and I am not sure if those are fingers or bones in the hand or what.



A little more clear. On the left is the face (tilt your head to the left... it looks a lot like an alien). The big circle on the right is the abdomen, and the smaller dot at the top is a hand.



Follow the arrow and you will see a foot. There are 3 1/2 toes visible and the sole of the foot is very clear. Amazing!

Belly Laughs

Babycenter.com sends me weekly emails with information about our growing baby. Things like "this week your baby is the size of this type of food and grew ears." At the bottom of the page is usually something witty about pregnancy. i just had to share this weeks words of wisdom:

How to explain the new baby to your toddler

• "When a man and a woman love each other very much..."
• "One day a stork comes flying by..."
• "When God decides that the world needs another angel..."
• "Daddy is a bad, bad man."

First Ultrasound

The due date is official -- October 22nd, 2007

First OB appointment

Today was the first of many doctor's visits. Well, I did not actually get to see the doctor. I did get to talk for a LONG time with a nurse who told me what it was like to be pregnant. Trust me, I have not forgotten.

Eli came with me and was SOOO well-behaved during the visit. The nurse had toys on the floor (though I brought plenty, too) and he had a great time feeding raisins to the plastic zoo animals.

Since we are not sure of my conception date, there is an ultrasound planned for next Monday that should give a better due date estimation (right now it is somewhere between October 5 and 22). Then, I have an actual visit with the OB next Thursday.