32 weeks old!

[all photos taken with instagram]

{ first 8 weeks }

{ second 8 weeks }

{ third 8 weeks }

24 weeks old!

[all photos taken with instagram]

{ first 8 weeks }

{ second 8 weeks }

16 weeks old!

[all photos taken with instagram]

{ first 8 weeks }

8 weeks old!

[all photos taken with Instagram]

round 2 // 40 weeks

Time to go have a baby!

[We took these the morning we headed to the hospital for my c-section,

on my due date, at 40 weeks.]

round 2 // game on!

At my 37 week ultrasound yesterday, I found out that baby girl has turned head down!

This is news that I have been waiting to hear!  Deacon never did turn -- was breech the whole time -- so we ended up scheduling a c-section with him.  And I was fine with that.

This go-round, I had been hoping that I might be able to try a VBAC and that was only going to be a possibility if Natalie turned head down so here we are.  

That option is now on the table.

While I may not be thinking in the midst of labor and delivery that this was something I should've been hoping for, I believe I will be grateful to have had this experience on the other side of it, when I'm holding my baby girl.  :)

And speaking of her...

[flashing gang signs] 

[she's a tarheel! {sorry, daddy!}]

round 2 // 36 weeks

Another bump update for you...

It seems like forever since I've had to take photos of my belly, and yet, we're another 4 weeks down, which leaves only 4 more weeks til this baby girl will be making some kind of commotion in our house!

The good news is things are coming along quite nicely in the room that Natalie will be sleeping in (at least until she sleeps through the night and can room with her big brother).  My wonderful husband picked up cabinets to outfit the room so I was able to reorganize and get rid of lots of stuff, and make room for the crib and the few little miscellaneous items we'll use in there for Natalie.

Somehow I'm cramming all her clothes, extra diapers, etc. in Deacon's closet and dresser in his room, so the only thing we'll need in the craft room/office is the crib, changing pad, diapering supplies, a hamper and the diaper champ.  We have all that figured out, space-wise, so that makes this mama feel much better.

And the craft room/office looks AWESOME!  I'll be posting about that on my house blog soon.

So I'm up to weekly ultrasounds and weekly NSTs (twice-weekly testing, they call it).  They're keeping a close eye on me and baby girl for the duration.  She's doing great, and I think I am, too, so we just get to enjoy more photos of her...[these are from last week at 35 weeks]

round 2 // 32 weeks

Happy new year!  32 weeks today, which, more importantly, means ONLY 8 WEEKS TO GO.

Yiiiiiikes!

I'm in a slight panic at the thought that we have 2 months left and I really haven't done the first thing to get ready for this child, except collect a few girl clothes from sweet friends.

At least she has a name.

I've been trying to just "get past Christmas" (isn't that terrible??) before trying to tackle anything, but in the back of my mind I knew that meant I really was only leaving myself a couple months to get ready for her.

NOT in the back of my mind anymore...now it's smacking me in the forehead!

So here's the bump comparison -- I look better here, in my opinion, than in my last one.  Go figure.

I had a doctor's appt on Monday that ended up being a little more involved than I planned.  At this stage of pregnancy, and especially with one who has hypertension (ahem, that would be me), it's pretty standard to begin weekly non-stress testing at my doc appts.  They hook me up to a couple monitors that will monitor the baby's heartbeat and movements.

So on the 30 min long NST Monday, they observed "variables that are concerning".  I asked for a little more information and they said variables could be anything from cord or head compression, lack of oxygen, decreasing placental function, etc.

Due to these "concerning" variables, they sent me for an ultrasound at which they performed a BPP (biophysical profile).  Basically, they watch the baby doing several different things for a longer period of time to make sure everything is okay.  These things include breathing practice (hard to imagine babies have to "practice" their breathing), heartbeat, moving all their extremities, etc.

Natalie got an 8 out of 8.

That's my girl.  :)

So nothing of concern to report and we got a few more photos of her...

This one tripped me out -- she was looking right at us!  She opened her mouth a couple of times...it was crazy to see.  I hope you can see her face, how she's looking out...

Jeff was off on Monday and had Deacon while I was at my appt, but when they decided to send me for an ultrasound, in case there was anything to it, I told Jeff I really didn't want to go by myself.  Bless his heart, he and Deacon met me and we all went down to have my ultrasound done together.  I thought Deacon would think it was really cool to see his sister on the monitor, but he seemed more concerned with mama laying on the table with jelly all over her belly..."you okay, mama?"  Every time I looked at him, he was looking at me instead of the monitor.  It was sweet.  Love that boy!

So I'll be back at the doctor's office Monday for my weekly appt.  Praying we don't have to do the ultrasound thing again.  It's great to see our little girl, but I'd like to avoid the drive downtown to the office that has the ultrasound equipment, thankyouverymuch.

round 2 // 30 week ultrasound

I had an OB appt on Monday and another growth ultrasound on Tuesday this week.  All is looking "spectacular", in the words of my docs!  :)  Natalie is measuring at exactly 30 weeks, right where she should be, and she weighs almost 3 lbs (2 lbs 14 oz).  They also told me that her head, though it looks huge on the ultrasound monitor when I look, is actually pretty small.

That's good news considering I'm going to try to push this one out.  (ooo, TMI -- sorry!)

The only reason I had a c-section with my boy is because the stubborn thing stayed breech, so they told me that in those cases, it is possible to attempt a VBAC as long as everything goes according to plan.  So that IS the plan.  It terrifies me but I really would like that experience, if possible.  We'll see what the Lord wills.  :)

We got a cute glimpse of Natalie's profile at the ultrasound...

[hi there!]

round 2 // 28 weeks

Got another "bump" photo for y'all at 28 weeks.  I'm not digging how much my face is fattening up filling out and I never notice it until I look at photos of myself, but it is what it is.  I haven't seen a workout for your face.  So I'm just working out the rest of my body with this really great 30 min low-impact cardio workout video from Fitness Blender.  I try to get that in at least 3 times a week, and then get some walking in a couple times a week, too.  I'm definitely not in the shape I was with my first pregnancy (having been slightly obsessed with working out before getting pregnant), but I'm doing the best I can this time around with the variables differing as they are.

I had a regular OB appt on Monday, at which I took the 1 hour glucose test (drink some really sweet soda, wait an hour and let them take your blood).  They said they would call me only if the results were abnormal (i.e., I didn't pass).  5 days later, I'm still waiting on a call, so I guess that's a good sign. :)  Thank goodness I don't have to take the 3 hour glucose test (that's what happens if you don't pass the 1 hour test)!  I was a little concerned with Thanksgiving having been just last weekend.

I also got the DTaP (or TDap) vaccine for diptheria, tetanus and pertussis.  That was basically required of me since there's an outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) in NC.  And that's why I got it.  I only get vaccines if they're required of me.  This chic is NOT a fan of needles.  The vaccine was fine but my arm was fairly sore over the next 2 days.

Dr. Hall told me that we're going to doc appts every two weeks now, whaaat??!!  I can't believe we're at that point already.  So I have my next OB appt in 2 weeks, and my next ultrasound the same week.  Hopefully they won't want to adjust my ultrasound appts to every 2 weeks too, because that is a HIKE for me to get to that office.

round 2 // 24 weeks

So I'm not a fan of this photo of me at 24 weeks (baby 2).  I think it's the maternity jeans I'm wearing.  I usually wear under-belly jeans, but these are actually over-the-belly and I think they are warping my shape.  Just sayin'.  It is what it is, but that's my theory.

I had a good doc appt this past Monday -- all looks well with baby girl and with me so that's good news.  We're just cruising right along!

round 2 // 20 weeks

Wow, halfway through this pregnancy already.  It seems to be going much faster with this one.  Probably because a lot of my attention is focused on a toddler (who's celebrating his 3rd birthday in a couple weeks!) that I didn't have the first time around.

They say time flies when you're having fun!

I had a regular OB appt, just a checkup, this past Monday and they say everything is still looking good.  The baby's heartbeat still sounds strong and there were no concerns about anything.  No news is good news!

We are getting ever closer to figuring out her name.  A lot of folks have been asking what we're naming her and we're waiting to share until we have her full name in place.  We have her first name which I think is the hardest to agree decide on so the hard part is done!  I feel like getting the middle name won't be as hard, though we have had a few conversations about it and it may not be as simple as I thought.  :)

round 2 // 16 weeks

Here's another "bump" update for those who are interested...

 [12 weeks comparison here]

 

Had a good doctor's appt this past Monday.  They said my iron was "great" (38% -- 33% or higher is preferred during pregnancy), my urine's good (sorry if I'm sharing TMI; it kind of goes along with pregnancy, yes?), the baby's heartbeat sounded good.

 

I guess the baby is about the size of an avocado right now, so he/she's pushing out a little more to make room.  I've just now started feeling very slight flicks or flutters or flips but only every now and then, not very consistently at all.

 

Random fact: after I eat, it looks like my food all settles at the top of my stomach, right under my chest, right above my belly button.  It's strange, but it makes me look much more pregnant than I am, right after I eat.

 

We find out in 2 weeks whether this baby is a boy or a girl.  I really don't have any hunches as to what it is, and I don't have any preference either.  I've really tried to think honestly about it and I can say that I will not be disappointed with either one.  We've had a blast with Deacon so another boy would be awesome.  At the same time, I'd like the opportunity to raise a girl, too.  It sure takes a lot of pressure off going to find out!   Can't wait!

round 2 // 12 weeks

Thought this would be interesting to share.  Only a slight difference, I'd say.  I've decided to do "bump updates" a little different this time, wearing regular clothes -- whatever I happen to have on that day, instead of the same outfit throughout the pregnancy.  I'm sure the jeans add a tiny bit to the girth, but that's okay.  People don't see me walking around in a tank top and workout pants most of the time (unless they catch me at 5 in the morning) so that's real.

 

A couple other differences between 1 & 2:

  :: Instagram!
  :: I look older more mature wiser in the 2nd one. 

I AM already a mama, after all.  :)

38 weeks today...

Good gracious...2 weeks to go.  I'm 38 weeks today!

Babycenter.com has this to say about what our little guy has been up to:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Whattoexpect.com had a little bit more info to add:

 

Hey, your little one isn't so little anymore, weighing close to seven pounds and measuring 20 inches long. Fetal development is nearly complete as your baby tends to a few last-minute details like shedding the skin-protecting vernix and lanugo. He's also producing more surfactant, a substance that prevents the air sacs in his lungs from sticking to one another once he starts to breathe. Most of the changes this week are small but important: He’s continuing to add fat (so he can take advantage of all those photo ops by sporting a round, cute baby look!) and fine-tuning his brain and nervous system (so he can deal with all the stimulation that awaits him once he makes his entrance into the world).

[again, not such a pretty image of our little guy...]

Good thing I only have a couple weeks left -- I'm not sure this little tank top is going to fit over this belly much longer!

Just as I did a couple weeks ago, I thought I'd post another set of photos with me in regular clothes.  This is another shirt that we found on our shopping trip when Momma and I met in Raleigh.  It's pretty comfy and it was only $3!

37 weeks today...

I'm 37 weeks today.  Less than a month to go -- this is nuts!

Here's what babycenter.com says has been going on with our baby boy:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Whattoexpect.com says this:

With just three more weeks to go and at about six and a half pounds (though weight and height vary from fetus to fetus), your baby is doing just fine. You can expect weight gain to be about half an ounce per day. (Boys, though, are likely to be heavier at birth than girls. And here's a bit of boy baby trivia to back that one up: Moms carrying boys tend to eat more than moms carrying girls — a foreshadowing of teenage refrigerator raids to come.)  Since your little one is considered full-term at 37 weeks pregnant, if your baby was to leave the wet nest this week, he would likely thrive. That's because Mother Nature God and you have done such a fine job.
 
So what's keeping your little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Your baby is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking on his thumb, blinking, and pivoting from side to side (one day you feel the tushy on the left side, another day it has swung around to the right side). All these are skills needed for his next gig  — starring as newborn.

Here's an interesting fact: Your baby's head (which, by the way, is still growing) will, at birth, be the same size circumference as his hips, abdomen, and shoulders. And guess what's making an impression (literally) these days on those shoulders and hips: fat — causing little dimples in those cute elbows and knees, shoulders and hip, and creases and folds in the neck and wrists.

[okay, that's a pretty ugly depiction of our sweet little boy...just sayin'.]

We're on the home stretch now so at all our doctor's appts, the nurses & doctors are gearing up to see how both of us are doing and when we might have some exciting action.  Our plan is to let the baby "cook" as long as he will and to go into labor naturally, as long as everything is good with me and him.  We're hoping he's turned from breech to head-down by now so that a scheduled c-section will not even need to be in the discussion.  We'll find out Thursday at our next ultrasound whether he's turned or not.

36 weeks today...

Holy cow -- 4 weeks of this pregnancy left!  I am 36 weeks today.

Here's what's been going on with our little guy, according to babycenter.com:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version* which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.

*Babies who are still breech near term are unlikely to turn on their own. So if your baby is still bottom down at 37 weeks, your caregiver should offer to try to turn your baby to the more favorable head-down position, assuming you're an appropriate candidate.

This procedure is known as an external cephalic version (ECV). It's done by applying pressure to your abdomen and manually manipulating the baby into a head-down position. (If your caregiver is not experienced in this procedure, she may refer you to someone who is.)

ECV has about a 58 percent success rate in turning breech babies (and a 90 percent success rate if the baby is in a transverse lie.) But sometimes a baby refuses to budge or rotates back into a breech position after a successful version. ECV is more likely to work if this isn't your first baby.

2 weeks ago when they told us the baby was breech at my last ultrasound, my OB told me that there were ways to try to turn the baby, meaning that a c-section was not automatically considered at this point.  Also?  We still have 4 weeks for him to turn on his own (I'm praying that's what he does) and at this point, he's transverse so it seems as though he's making his way around.  :)

Whattoexpect.com had some interesting things to say about the baby's progress this week:

Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). At 36 weeks pregnant, the skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver through the birth canal.

So your little bruiser (who you've now learned won't be bruising you all that much with those soft bones) is now about six pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. Once such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. So your baby will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

The picture quality seems a little low, I apologize -- it's been kinda cloudy here today and we had to use the flash on the camera.  That sure doesn't hide the belly, though, huh??

I'm kind of over the whole changing into this "white-tank-pink-workout-pants" outfit that barely fits anymore for my progress photos, but I've got what, 2 more photos to take in it?  If I make it that far.  So I bit the bullet and did it today.  But I also realized that there are very few photos of me in some of my cuter maternity clothes on this blog.  So I decided today to have Jeff take some of me in regular clothes.  That fit.  :)

This is what I wore to church today.  The high was only 67 and it was party cloudy (Hello, fall!  I've been waiting for you!).  My mom got me this shirt when we went on our shopping spree back in August and I've been waiting for the weather to cool so I can wear it.  It's very comfy, and I got lots of compliments on it today.  :)

35 weeks today...

Man, only 5 weeks to go since I'm 35 weeks today.  CRAZY!

Here's what babycenter.com says has been happening:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

And whattoexpect.com had this to say about what's going on:

 

Your baby is standing tall (so to speak) this week at about 20 inches and continues his steady weight gain (he’s about 5.5 pounds). While he won't get much longer, he will continue to pack on the pounds — including large amounts of baby fat — right up 'til delivery day. Something else that's moving at a mind-boggling pace these day: fetal brain development! There’s a lot going on inside that tiny head, which is, by the way, still soft to allow an easier exit through the birth canal.

 

34 weeks today...

I'm 34 weeks today.  6 more weeks to go...and lots of stuff to do!

Babycenter.com says this about what's been going on with our little one:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

And whattoexpect.com said this:
 

Your baby is clocking in at five pounds and could be as tall as 20 inches by now, and the vernix (the white coating protecting your baby’s skin) is getting thicker. This week, a boy's testicles start making their way down from his abdomen to their final destination: his scrotum (look out below!). While about three to four percent of boys are born with undescended testicles, it's nothing to worry about — they usually head downtown before junior turns a year old. In other baby-related developments, those tiny fingernails have probably reached the tips of his fingers by now — and getting ready for that first postpartum manicure.

 

33 weeks today...

Each week seems to get faster & faster...I'm 33 weeks today.  7 weeks to go...

Here's what babycenter.com says has been going on:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

And whattoexpect.com has this to say:

This week your baby may be anywhere between 17 to 19 inches in length and weigh more than four and a half pounds. At this stage in fetal development, your baby could grow a full inch more this week alone — especially if he has been on the shorter side. Weight gain can range from a third more growth to a full doubling before the big debut.

The level of amniotic fluid in your uterus has reached its maximum at 33 weeks pregnant, making it likely that you have more baby than fluid now. That's one reason why you're probably feeling lots of nudges and pushes — there's less liquid to cushion the blows. (Of course that means you're even closer to your baby now!)

If your uterine walls had eyes, here's what you'd see: your fetus acting more and more like a baby, with his eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).

And good news! Your baby has reached an important milestone about now: The development of his own immune system that (along with antibodies from you) will be able to provide protection from mild infections.

Just an update on us personally:

Progress is coming along on the crib.  As soon as that is done and moved into the nursery, then I will really go into "getting ready" mode.   And things around here will finally start to look like we're actually having a baby.  :)  Instead of just chaotic, with things just not in their right place.  That's driving me crazy.  :)

We have another class this week, this time on breastfeeding.  I am planning to go that route, as long as everything goes well so I'm game to learn all I can now.

We had some maternity photos done with friends of ours in Wake Forest this weekend so I will probably post some of those when I get the CD from Elizabeth.  I've seen a handful of them and they look fantastic!  Elizabeth is so talented and we really had a good time with her & Matthew (and little Emily :) yesterday.

We have a big baby shower this coming Saturday.  My mom & dad, and brother & sister-in-law (and my niece :) are coming for it.  It's being thrown by our sweet, sweet Sunday school class and we're pretty excited about it.  We haven't been told much, which is fine with me -- I love surprises! -- but I've heard enough to know that everyone has put a lot of planning & effort into it.  We are so blessed...