...It also turns out "trimesters" are a thing of the past; when it comes to Baby F. #2, "halves" will have to do! I last squeaked out a sub-par post re: 4-20 weeks right on ova' here, and I'm just now finally showing [puffy prego] face today to highlight 21-39 weeks!
Second baby syndrome: it's legit.
...We of courseeee do still love you, Baby F. numero dos! ;) ;)
To bridge the last 20-week gap [in a nutshell]: I'm 39 weeks today, and we're all still on TEAM BOY [!!!] over here thanks to significantly less a) vomiting, b) swelling, and c) overall pregnancy misery... I still never achieved that glamorous, glowing pregnant momma status this time around, but this little fetus has treated me much better overall than Harper ever did! Aside from said symptoms, I have no other reason to be so dead set on the male gender; but I'm totally feelin' "dude" and stickin' with it! :) Since ~24 weeks, this little guy [dare I say it?!] has been SO ACTIVE and has rarely stopped moving! I love his aggressive kicks and big rolls and even the hourly bladder punches; although I'm ginormousss and definitely well parked in the uncomfortable garage, I absolutely love knowing that he/she is tucked tightly in there and will be with me, perfectly protected from the crazy outside world, wherever I go!
Ho-kayyy, enough sappy/sentimental jabbering. Onward to the
Baby F. #2 started off my second half of pregnancy right by helping us welcome this charming little man into the world:
A couple weeks later, we scooted off to Destin [right into hurricane city!] to spend a last little bit of time as a "family of three" together. The days with Harper as our only child are dwindling [down to seven or less as of today!], and so I'm incredibly grateful that we had this trip and could watch her explore the water and waves and truly focus on just her and how much we love her!!! [Separate posts/pics re: .so.much.fun. on the babymoon!] ...Hormonal prego fingers typing here...don't hate!
^^ Oh, and then there's the fact that Harper thinks she's pregnant, too..... Every time her little tummy growls, she looks up with a side-eye and sweet smile and says, "Hey, you hear my baby?" At first it was all fun and games, but at this point I'm a little worried she'll be disappointed when the [real] baby arrives as a singleton because she absolutely thinks there will be two newborns in the house next week! [Also, she has been educating Brian about how "our" deliveries will go: "Daddy, 'dose babies will just slip right out!" ...And for that outcome, I can only hope!!!]
Hey there, 26w fetus hiding nicely in the corner behind yo' big sister and her sore thigh status-post flu shot! Ribbit the ice pack and Wendy's frostie for the half-win...
Hey there, 26w fetus hiding nicely in the corner behind yo' big sister and her sore thigh status-post flu shot! Ribbit the ice pack and Wendy's frostie for the half-win...
I also outgrew all of Brian's t-shirts sometime in the early third trimester, so of course that was a huge boost for my self-confidence [especially considering I made it to 37 or 38 weeks with Harper before having to retreat to my dad's closet...]. And around the beginning of third tri was the same time was when the infamous comments started. Noted are a few not-favorites:
Bearded hillbilly in hallway at hospital: "MANNNN that's preganant! When ya' due?! I mean, you got a pretty face hunny, but MAN, thattttt is pregnant!"
Me: "............Thanks."
Friend of the family that knows better but still had to open his trap: "Wow! Your mom told me you were big, but YOU'RE BIG! Is it a boy or a girl?! Oh wait, I think it's both!" *laughs hysterically*
Me: "...Ha, ha. It's a surprise, thanks."
Well-intentioned handicapped boy that collects our outgoing mail from the office, standing one inch away from my face: "It's not hard to tell you are pregnant!"
...Oh, and just the typical, common, "Well you look like you're about to pop!" and "That looks miserable!" and "You poor girl!" from literally every other person I pass at work or at the store.
Lastly, my personal favorite [but this one didn't come until 37 weeks thankfully]:
Woman at church: "How many hours left 'til delivery?!"
Me: "Three weeks, actually!"
Woman at church: *eyes bugged so big I would've thought she was witnessing the second coming of Jesus*
...It's great that I don't already have underlying body image issues because...whoa. Go stick yo' feet in yo' mouth, crazy @$$e$!!! *sigh* No time to revel in the bad and ugly...
Upward and onward! I boosted up my confidence for a short period right before spiraling back downwards into panic mode at 27w when I failed the one-hour glucose test. Gestational diabetes is all shi*ts and giggles until it's no sh*ts and no giggles... And on the horizon were Halloween! Thanksgiving! Christmas! And every other day in between 'dem holidays that calls for a donut or something of the like...!!! This momma is fueled by carbs, so I waited with sweaty palms and bated breath for my three-hour test to result...and of course had another donut to celebrate when I finally passed. #phew #GDMisnotthelifeforme #donutsforeverandever
On to a positive note highlighting Harper and Baby F. #2's first Blues game:
A fun little peek at our nugget! [PS - These random ultrasound pics are just a little big benefit of working in an OB office complete with a brand new ultrasound machine. Any time someone needed some training on the machine, I was the lucky ...and only... go-to pregnant girl/guinea pig in sight! Of course that doesn't bother me any... Always love getting quick glimpses at those chubby cheeks and kissable lips!]
Annnnnnd time to throw down the holidays!
^^ Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas..... Sooo many parties and festivities and CARBS and did I mention already how happy I was to barely escape GDM?! SO HAPPY.
All the sudden it was mid-December and time for my lasssssst 12-hour labor and delivery shift before delivery! Wowza! I have a picture like this from my last [miserable] night shift with Harper, and sooo...for the sake of continuity/new tradition:
^^ The next day was deemed a total LAZY DAY, because holy sore pelvis and body... I don't know how I ever ever ever worked full time 12-hour night shifts up until the day I delivered Harper, but I must've had a lesser case of wuss-itis back in 2015 or somethinggg because yow. So happy this was my last floor shift! When we woke up that next morning and Brian had already left for work, I flopped back down in bed and said, "This baby wears me out!" and Harper kicked herself back too exclaiming, "MY baby wear ME out, tooooo!" ...That sweet little mini-me; she gets me every time!
Newsflash: TERM! Only a few more weeks to go... Baby was all wadded up and looks like he/she is running out of room to stretch out! Still so in love with those little lips!
Annnnd Merry Christmas!!! More [and more and more, as earlier promised] Christmas posting to come! :)
Whew!
It's so so soooo crazy to wrap my mind around the fact that 2018 is here...
...and I'm actually finally really 39 weeks pregnant with this little miracle that we waited for for so long...
...and in SEVEN DAYS [or less! I'm hoping for less!], we'll become a family of four and be holding and swaddling and cuddling a tiny little human that we already love so very much!!! We were at a family New Year's Eve party last night, and as I watched the ball drop and the confetti explode, I couldn't help but be so excited about the year ahead and all that awaits us!
The best is truly yet to come!!!
^^ Cheers to that, for our family and all of your families, as well! May 2018 bless all of us with an abundant amount of happiness, healthiness, and holiness... May we find something to be grateful for every single day!!! Signing off for now; next time I check in, I hope it's to update with an announcement of our newest addition! :-* :-*
