I’m coming up on 28
weeks now and it feels good to be here. Each day that passes is one day closer
to a healthy baby outside the womb. And boy, is he ever healthy! He is kicking
and punching and moving all around. It’s so reassuring to feel that throughout
the day and it’s fascinating to feel the different movements and wonder what in
the world is happening in there! I’ve felt him kicking my hip bone, as far to
the side as you can get, and I can’t imagine how he’s all the way over there. Sometimes
I feel like he’s just trying to bust his way out already. Makes me nervous for
when he’s a few pounds heavier!
We had another look at him on ultrasound a few weeks ago,
probably our last one until he makes his big debut. I’d made the decision to go
with the Riverton doctor. Even though they didn’t allow recording of the
ultrasound, I loved everything else about my experience there so I figured it
was the better choice, especially with the nicer hospital. We actually had Nick
sneak some footage of the ultrasound but it didn’t quite work out anyway and
that was okay. It’s more fun to watch when the baby is moving all around and he
wasn’t quite as active this time, nor was he in the best position for great
photos. But he looked healthy and strong and is still measuring five days
ahead, which is all good news and what matters most.
I got to talk to the doctor a little more at this visit. He’s
definitely very funny and I’m feeling more comfortable with him. We mostly talked about the possibility of a
scheduled induction. We have a very busy summer with a lot going on right
around his due date. It’d be nice to have his delivery scheduled so we can make
set plans instead of them being all up in the air until the last minute. I hate
to miss out on the excitement of going into labor on my own but that’s about
the only downside, and he could always come on his own before that too. The
doctor said I could be induced at 39 weeks, which works for me. We’re too far from
the due date to talk too seriously about it right now. The doctor said he’d be
happy to have that conversation with me because it means we made it that far!
Of course he’s
referring to my risk for developing pre eclampsia again. It’s such an odd
condition – your body basically reacting negatively to the placenta - and it
hits much more often with first pregnancies than with others. But I’m still at
risk and I’m suddenly feeling very aware of that risk now that I’m into my
third trimester. Fortunately, I don’t have too many of the big risk factors,
like diabetes, obesity, twins, or being over 40. But I did get it pretty early
on and pretty severely the last time. It can happen any time after 20 weeks but
is much more common after 37 weeks. I had my first symptoms at around 31 or 32
weeks and had to deliver Gavin at 33 weeks when my condition became severe and
my lungs filled up with fluid. So we’re all going to feel very grateful for
each week that passes without incident!
We have our hearts set on delivering in June, not only to
avoid the pre eclampsia problems and deliver a healthy baby, but to take advantage
of a brand new benefit offered at Nick’s new job. Starting June 1st, employees can take three weeks paid
parental leave! That is so exciting and such a fantastic benefit for both
parents! The baby will be 37 weeks by June 1st so we feel good about
him coming at any point after that. Come on, baby, let’s make it to June!
It makes me wonder about the pre eclampsia issue and whether
we’ll make it that far. I tried seeing if there were any ways to avoid it, but
it sounds like you either get it or you don’t. That being said, it has made me a little more concerned
about how I’m treating my body. The numbers on the scale paint a pretty good
picture of just how poorly I’ve been treating myself these past few months and
I’m not at all happy about it. I was in good shape before getting pregnant but
was way too scared to work out once I started the in vitro process. It’s been a
downward spiral since then and I’ve let myself get addicted to sugar and fall
completely out of shape. So I’m feeling the need to make some changes now instead of waiting until the baby
comes. I want to feel confident that I’m giving my baby the best chance at
delivering full term and I know that delivery and recovery go much better when
you’re healthy and fit anyway.
So I want
to make a commitment to stop drinking soda since it offers nothing good for you
at all. And I want to cut out a lot of the sugar. My husband has been
wanting to do the same so we’ll probably sit down and make a plan together. I
know some people think pregnancy is a free pass to eat whatever but it really
isn’t healthy and I’m definitely feeling it. Yuck.
With me starting my third trimester, I’m feeling a little
antsy and wanting to get ready. I’ve at
least figured out where I’m delivering and who my doctor will be. Thank
goodness for that! But we’re still undecided on names and are now dealing
with the reality of getting moved into a home before the baby comes. Searching
for a home has been incredibly taxing and I’ve been struggling to sort out how
we can get the most bang for our buck with this crazy competitive market we’re
in.
After a whole lot of
searching, we’re finally under contract for a home as of today! We love the
home and the location is very convenient for Nick getting to work. But I’m not
celebrating yet since we have inspections to do and will need to sort through
any other negotiations that may come up. Once we get that behind us, hoping all
goes well, then we’ll be set to move in at the end of April, giving me about
six or seven weeks to prepare for the baby in our new home. It will be a very exciting time and I’m looking forward to it!
Lots of changes ahead, but lots of good things. I’m feeling incredibly blessed.
In the meantime, I’ve been doing some babysitting to earn
some extra money and have been working on my artwork. It’d be nice to actually earn some money from my art and one of my
friends has been pushing me to make a coloring book. So I’m finally doing
that. It’s been challenging but fun and I’m hoping it’ll actually pan out into
something lucrative, even if it’s only a little bit. I know as the weeks go by,
it’ll get harder and harder to focus on that stuff, especially with so much to
do in getting ready to move and preparing for the baby. But those are fun and
exciting things to keep me busy so I don’t mind!
This is a wonderful time. Gavin can be challenging but is
just so darn cute and makes us laugh all the time. It is amazing how much he
talks and how quickly he learns. Nick has his new job that is going well and
giving us awesome new benefits. I’m working on fun projects at home and
enjoying my time for hobbies and friends. We’re finally buying our first home and feeling
really excited about it. And we have this little blessing doing acrobatics
inside my belly. It’s just one of those seasons in life where you have to stop
and appreciate how beautiful everything is. We know all about extreme highs and
lows in this family and this is definitely an extreme high. We’ll take it!
Once we have things squared away, I’ll share more about the
home and keep you posted on my progress with my health. In another month, this
baby will have almost doubled in weight so it’s all the more reason for me to
keep an eye on my own weight so I don’t end up falling over from an enormous
belly. I’m feeling plenty large already with just a 2 lbs baby in there, and
it’s getting uncomfortable to sleep and move too much. Yes, time to take better
care of myself and my baby too. Or he might come out looking like a block of
chocolate.
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