Well I have not updated the blog in a while and felt that today would be a good day to do so. Today marks exactly 19 weeks pregnant. 
Also, on this day last year, I found out that my first pregnancy (on round 2 of clomid) what not going to be successful. Also, known as a “chemical pregnancy,” I began to miscarry only a few short days after confirming with my OB that indeed I was pregnant, but HCG was too low and I was not going to have this baby.
I remember that heart wrenching grief like it was just yesterday, and at the same time it feels like it was a lifetime ago. That loss has molded me and shaped me into who I am today and has made me EVEN MORE grateful for this baby boy that I am currently feeling wiggling around in my tummy.
So here’s a little update on how things are going so far this pregnancy.
1. I have gained more weight that I think I should, but am doing much better at accepting the weight gain gracefully. Your girl likes sweets! I’ve been doing lots of reading online and MANY women do not stay in the 25lbs area that they say is “best”. At my last appointment at 15 weeks, I had gained 12lbs. Which my Dr. didn’t seem worried or concerned about. I brought it up and she said she likes to see about 10lbs total in first 20 weeks, which I am over, but every woman is different. She DID say she wouldn’t be surprised if I gained another 4lbs before my 20 week appointment…. Well, I’ve doubled that (according to my scale), with another 8lbs. So, total weight gain by my calculations so far is 20 lbs. Not happy about it, but not beating myself up either. We will see how bad I get fussed at by my doctor next week.
2. Due to my weight gain, my back and feet have been hurting more than usual. My right hip, where the most significant part of my scoliosis curve is, has been giving me a hard time. My chiropractor has gotten me to start stretching multiple times a day which is helping reduce the pain. I’m thinking I will finally go to the gym and try my first 10-15 minutes on the treadmill soon, just to see how I do. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t done any “working out” since even before getting pregnant. So if I can get in the gym twice a week just to walk, I think I will start feeling a bit better about that.
3. CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME … my only complaint I have about being pregnant. I never knew this could be a side effect of pregnancy until I entered the 2nd trimester and my hands started going numb while laying down/sleeping. The numbness was waking me up constantly and becoming a nuisance, so I ordered some night time wrist braces to wear. They have helped tremendously while sleeping. Unfortunately, the numbness/tingling has become more regular and happens during the day as well now. My wrists are weak and hurt off and on. It will just randomly act up, sometimes my whole hand, sometimes a couple fingers, and in the evenings before bed, it even travels upward and my forearms start to hurt.
4. Baby’s is moving around in there! I can feel him wiggling away. Even though right now it mainly just feels like little tapping to me. Which I can only guess is what some people describe as gas bubbles or butterflies. I think it just feels like someone tapping with one finger. Twice now, I have felt what I assume is baby turning/rolling to a different position. That is the weirdest feeling. No way to describe it other than he is briefly at an angle that pushes on the front of my uterus. It so weird, but I love it.
5. Last thing I've recently noticed, swelling. I had one day last weekend that I could tell I was swollen. My heels were hurting pretty badly, whether I was standing or not. My toes looked pretty puffy compared to normal. It felt really tight when I tried to make a fist, and my rings were not going to come off until swelling went down. I assume I am just starting to retain some water, which makes me nervous for what is to come since I am only about halfway through at this point. (Just tried to take off my wedding rings while typing this…not happening.) So I guess that means I will be holding my hand in some ice very soon to get them off, and will be ordering a larger size silicone ring to wear through the rest of my pregnancy and until I can get my rings back on and off comfortably. This makes me pretty sad, but hey, gotta do what I gotta do.
6. Names. Nothing set in stone. I have one name that my heart is set on, that Jonathan isn’t the biggest fan of. But the more people ask us if we have a name, the more he talks about it and shares what I like (with their happy approval), the more I think/hope it is starting to grow on him. He has yet to make any alternative suggestions, so I am keeping my list of back up names to myself until he volunteers some name ideas himself.
That’s about all that I can really think of to update on with my pregnancy so far. We have our 20 week appointment and anatomy scan next Thursday. I am looking so forward to seeing our little boy again for a bit longer of an ultrasound while confirming he is most definitely a boy. (At this point if the NIPT blood work was wrong I would be flabbergasted).
We have been in the process of remodeling at home. We started in the baby’s room. My old “junk room” no longer exists… all junk has been purged. Once it was empty, Jonathan started tearing down the hideous wood paneling, which was glued to the sheetrock… so he tore down the sheetrock and put insulation in the exterior walls since the house had NONE. Then the 70s style acoustic ceiling that was hung beneath the sheetrock ceiling also had to go. To our dismay, we uncovered some NASTY looking mold that was hidden all this time. (My head almost exploded lol!) Jonathan treated it and cleaned it, the mold was not currently active fortunately. And we discovered that condensation from the air handler in the attic is the culprit. Which, this is only happening when the A/C is running in the summer. Lucky for me, Jonathan is an HVAC guy, so this is something on the to-do list to get fixed before the springtime. But due to the mold, we now also have to do the same exact remodeling to our bedroom which is also beneath the air handler. We know that the mold is probably even worse in there. As horrible as it is, I am so glad that we have discovered all of this now and getting it done before baby arrives. I would have been devastated if our son was in our home breathing it in. I cannot imagine having to go through all this with remodeling with a newborn in the house. Plus, the mold might be the cause of mine and Jonathan’s constant sinus issues. Lastly, I have said for 7 years now that I absolutely HATE the ugly wood panels… and now we are finally getting rid of them and making my home into something more that I can love and be proud of and decorate! (Wood panels are HARD to make look pretty with decorations.) We have high hopes to get both bedrooms done quickly, and then also complete the living room and hallway. Leaving wood panels in the kitchen only to do a FULL kitchen remodel at a later time.
We did hire some guys to hang the new sheetrock, mud and repaint. They are doing and excellent job so far. So this weekend, we move our bedroom furniture to the baby’s room temporarily and start the demo on our room so they can come back and get started in there. Painting and carpet will come after walls and ceiling are complete. But I have big plans. Paint colors are already picked out and I am THRILLED to get to decorate the baby’s room and the rest of the house once all this remodeling is complete. Just hope everything continues to move smoothly and quickly so I can start all my fun and have my house back to normal! I DESPISE sheetrock dust.
Also, on this day last year, I found out that my first pregnancy (on round 2 of clomid) what not going to be successful. Also, known as a “chemical pregnancy,” I began to miscarry only a few short days after confirming with my OB that indeed I was pregnant, but HCG was too low and I was not going to have this baby.
I remember that heart wrenching grief like it was just yesterday, and at the same time it feels like it was a lifetime ago. That loss has molded me and shaped me into who I am today and has made me EVEN MORE grateful for this baby boy that I am currently feeling wiggling around in my tummy.
So here’s a little update on how things are going so far this pregnancy.
1. I have gained more weight that I think I should, but am doing much better at accepting the weight gain gracefully. Your girl likes sweets! I’ve been doing lots of reading online and MANY women do not stay in the 25lbs area that they say is “best”. At my last appointment at 15 weeks, I had gained 12lbs. Which my Dr. didn’t seem worried or concerned about. I brought it up and she said she likes to see about 10lbs total in first 20 weeks, which I am over, but every woman is different. She DID say she wouldn’t be surprised if I gained another 4lbs before my 20 week appointment…. Well, I’ve doubled that (according to my scale), with another 8lbs. So, total weight gain by my calculations so far is 20 lbs. Not happy about it, but not beating myself up either. We will see how bad I get fussed at by my doctor next week.
2. Due to my weight gain, my back and feet have been hurting more than usual. My right hip, where the most significant part of my scoliosis curve is, has been giving me a hard time. My chiropractor has gotten me to start stretching multiple times a day which is helping reduce the pain. I’m thinking I will finally go to the gym and try my first 10-15 minutes on the treadmill soon, just to see how I do. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t done any “working out” since even before getting pregnant. So if I can get in the gym twice a week just to walk, I think I will start feeling a bit better about that.
3. CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME … my only complaint I have about being pregnant. I never knew this could be a side effect of pregnancy until I entered the 2nd trimester and my hands started going numb while laying down/sleeping. The numbness was waking me up constantly and becoming a nuisance, so I ordered some night time wrist braces to wear. They have helped tremendously while sleeping. Unfortunately, the numbness/tingling has become more regular and happens during the day as well now. My wrists are weak and hurt off and on. It will just randomly act up, sometimes my whole hand, sometimes a couple fingers, and in the evenings before bed, it even travels upward and my forearms start to hurt.
4. Baby’s is moving around in there! I can feel him wiggling away. Even though right now it mainly just feels like little tapping to me. Which I can only guess is what some people describe as gas bubbles or butterflies. I think it just feels like someone tapping with one finger. Twice now, I have felt what I assume is baby turning/rolling to a different position. That is the weirdest feeling. No way to describe it other than he is briefly at an angle that pushes on the front of my uterus. It so weird, but I love it.
5. Last thing I've recently noticed, swelling. I had one day last weekend that I could tell I was swollen. My heels were hurting pretty badly, whether I was standing or not. My toes looked pretty puffy compared to normal. It felt really tight when I tried to make a fist, and my rings were not going to come off until swelling went down. I assume I am just starting to retain some water, which makes me nervous for what is to come since I am only about halfway through at this point. (Just tried to take off my wedding rings while typing this…not happening.) So I guess that means I will be holding my hand in some ice very soon to get them off, and will be ordering a larger size silicone ring to wear through the rest of my pregnancy and until I can get my rings back on and off comfortably. This makes me pretty sad, but hey, gotta do what I gotta do.
6. Names. Nothing set in stone. I have one name that my heart is set on, that Jonathan isn’t the biggest fan of. But the more people ask us if we have a name, the more he talks about it and shares what I like (with their happy approval), the more I think/hope it is starting to grow on him. He has yet to make any alternative suggestions, so I am keeping my list of back up names to myself until he volunteers some name ideas himself.
That’s about all that I can really think of to update on with my pregnancy so far. We have our 20 week appointment and anatomy scan next Thursday. I am looking so forward to seeing our little boy again for a bit longer of an ultrasound while confirming he is most definitely a boy. (At this point if the NIPT blood work was wrong I would be flabbergasted).
We have been in the process of remodeling at home. We started in the baby’s room. My old “junk room” no longer exists… all junk has been purged. Once it was empty, Jonathan started tearing down the hideous wood paneling, which was glued to the sheetrock… so he tore down the sheetrock and put insulation in the exterior walls since the house had NONE. Then the 70s style acoustic ceiling that was hung beneath the sheetrock ceiling also had to go. To our dismay, we uncovered some NASTY looking mold that was hidden all this time. (My head almost exploded lol!) Jonathan treated it and cleaned it, the mold was not currently active fortunately. And we discovered that condensation from the air handler in the attic is the culprit. Which, this is only happening when the A/C is running in the summer. Lucky for me, Jonathan is an HVAC guy, so this is something on the to-do list to get fixed before the springtime. But due to the mold, we now also have to do the same exact remodeling to our bedroom which is also beneath the air handler. We know that the mold is probably even worse in there. As horrible as it is, I am so glad that we have discovered all of this now and getting it done before baby arrives. I would have been devastated if our son was in our home breathing it in. I cannot imagine having to go through all this with remodeling with a newborn in the house. Plus, the mold might be the cause of mine and Jonathan’s constant sinus issues. Lastly, I have said for 7 years now that I absolutely HATE the ugly wood panels… and now we are finally getting rid of them and making my home into something more that I can love and be proud of and decorate! (Wood panels are HARD to make look pretty with decorations.) We have high hopes to get both bedrooms done quickly, and then also complete the living room and hallway. Leaving wood panels in the kitchen only to do a FULL kitchen remodel at a later time.
We did hire some guys to hang the new sheetrock, mud and repaint. They are doing and excellent job so far. So this weekend, we move our bedroom furniture to the baby’s room temporarily and start the demo on our room so they can come back and get started in there. Painting and carpet will come after walls and ceiling are complete. But I have big plans. Paint colors are already picked out and I am THRILLED to get to decorate the baby’s room and the rest of the house once all this remodeling is complete. Just hope everything continues to move smoothly and quickly so I can start all my fun and have my house back to normal! I DESPISE sheetrock dust.
