And time goes by...

I can't believe how quickly this past month has gone by. In just 6-7 short weeks, we will welcome our beautiful baby girl. I can't wait!! We have a lot coming up in these next few weeks (Christmas, moving to a new house, getting ready for baby's arrival). It seems overwhelming at times, but I know that in no time, we will be settled into a "new normal" for our family.

I have a couple of cell phone selfies from the past few weeks to share.

This one is a bit out-dated. It's a Halloween picture. I already shared one similar, but I'm sharing this one with you because this is how most of my "baby belly" pictures have been taken so far. In the private bathroom in my classroom. A dirty bathroom mirror selfie ha!

I took this one on my way to my 28 week appointment. I'm drinking the dreaded orange glucose drink, and I'm happy to report that this momma does not have gestational diabetes. Phew!

Two big things that we've done since I last posted an entry....

Family and maternity pictures. I love this picture so much because all FOUR of our family members are in it, even if baby Tilly is a little bit hidden.

And we got to see baby's sweet, sweet baby face at a 3D ultrasound appointment. Look at how beautiful she is already!!!

I can not wait to kiss those sweet, chubby cheeks.

Dear Baby

Hi sweet baby girl,

I have been wanting to talk to you. It feels a little funny to write this letter to you before you are even in my arms, but the truth is, I love you so much already, and I want you to know how your Daddy and I are feeling as we wait patiently for you to arrive.

First of all, I am finally in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy. If everything goes according to plan, you will be safely in my arms 11 weeks and 2 days from now. (But who's counting?) I am feeling pretty good overall. I have some typical aches and pains, and I'm pretty sure you're tap dancing on my bladder because I pee about 100x each day, but I have no complaints. In 2 days, I get to see you again because I'm having a growth ultrasound to see how big you're getting. I can't wait! I hope you'll cooperate and let me see that sweet face of yours.

You've been moving around a lot. I'm not very good at telling how you're moving-- kicks, punches, rolls-- but you are definitely a mover and a shaker. Something that's funny is that for the longest time, whenever I would ask your Daddy to put his hand on my belly to feel you, you would immediately fall silent. You're a little trickster already, playing pranks on your Daddy. BUT FINALLY last night for the first time, you cooperated. We were watching football on TV, and we were curled up on the couch. You were moving all over the place, so I got him to put his hand on my belly. After a few minutes, you must have felt bad for the poor guy because you started thumping away. Maybe you were giving him high fives. I'm not sure, but I know he was happy to finally "meet" you, and it made my heart happy for him to have that moment, too.

So, here are some things you need to know about your family:

You have three dogs! They're getting up there in age. I hope you'll have all 3 of them long enough to have memories of them because they're a pretty big part of our family. They whine and bark too much, and I'm sure there will be moments when I am mad at them for barking while you are sleeping, but they are sweet, and I'm sure they will love and protect you as they do your sister.

Copper, Brandy, Bailey

You have a big sister. I may be biased, but I'm pretty sure she's going to be an amazing big sister.  She talks a lot about how cute you are and she blows raspberries on my belly for you. She rubs and hugs my belly, and if I ask really nicely, she sometimes sings you a song. She already adores you, and while I'm sure you'll have some ups and downs, I have high hopes that you will grow to love and cherish one another and be the very best of friends.

It was Halloween recently-- your sister was a pretty pink butterfly

You have a huuuge extended family that loves you and can't wait to meet you. You have 2 wonderful sets of grandparents: Dede and Grandpa on Daddy's side. They live nearby, and you'll see them often. And Nanny and Grampy on Mommy's side. They live far away, so you won't see them often, but when you do, you can bet they will spoil you like crazy! You have tons of cousins. Your closest cousin is Naomi-- she lives nearby, too, and you'll see her a lot. You have so many aunts and uncles who also can't wait to love and spoil you. Family is everything to us. Both your Daddy and I grew up in very close families that love each other very much. You are so, so blessed to be born into these families, and we are so, sooo blessed that you will be joining us.

Dede and Grandpa

Grampy and Nanny

Last but not least, you have two parents who love you like whoa! No, really, we love you more than words can say. We aren't the youngest, hippest, richest, coolest parents on the block, but no one, and I mean no one, loves their children any  more than your Daddy and I love you and your sister. We would do anything to keep you safe and healthy and happy. We have so many hopes and dreams for you as you come into this world and as you inevitably grow (we learned with Nora that babies really don't keep), and we can't wait to meet you and watch you become uniquely YOU, whoever that may be.

Here we are on our wedding day-- where it all began.

Wedding day, September 6, 2003

Here's a more recent picture of your handsome Daddy. You are going to think he hung the moon. (Nora and I already do.)

And here I am showing off YOU. This was taken just a few days ago on Halloween. See how I had you all dressed up for the occasion?

Sweet Matilda, I hope you grow to realize how blessed you are. We are anxious to meet you and start showing you every day that we love you to the moon and back.

All my love forever and ever,

Mommy xo

Introducing Matilda Ann

Here she is! Sweet Matilda Ann.

We had a follow-up anatomy scan today so that the doctor could get a better look at her heart. Everything looks perfect, and we got this sweet shot of her little face. She was having so much fun while we were watching her. She was grabbing at her feet, opening and closing her mouth, and just dancing all over the place. She's an active little thing!

We also found out today that she has flipped and is head down. That combined with the fact that my friend the fibroid doesn't appear to be growing means I might have a chance at a VBAC. Time will tell, but I'm excited about the possibility. However, no matter how she comes into the world, I can't wait to meet her.

As for her name, Matilda is after my Papa's only sister. Papa was very special to me, and his sister was very special to him. We also simply love the name, so it made perfect sense to choose it. Nora doesn't say Matilda very well right now. It sounds more like Ah-tilla (as in "the hun"??) so we've taught her to say Tilly, which was my great-aunt's nick name. I'm not sure if this little one will be called Matilda, Tilly, or both. Time will tell.

Her middle name, Ann, is after Ann Preston, a great-aunt on Brad's side of the family. Ann didn't live past the age of about 2 years old. She was his maternal grandmother's sister. She was also Uncle Spott's twin sister, which is ultimately why we chose Ann as a middle name. If we'd had a boy, his middle name would have been Spottswood, like Brad's, to honor Uncle Spott. It didn't seem to suit a little girl so well, but it was still important to us to honor Brad's namesake in some way. With Ann being his twin, we felt like it was the perfect fit.

And so, Matilda Ann it is. We love her name and we love her.

Half-Baked

As of Monday of this week, I was "half-baked". 20 weeks. Half way (at least) through this pregnancy! So far, time is flying. I had Brad take this rare non-selfie belly picture for me. I swear I thought I was smiling. I'll do better next time.

I haven't done one of the pregnancy surveys since 6 weeks, so I guess I'll do one of those for now to catch up on what's been going on.

How far along? 20 weeks 5 days

Total weight gain? 15 lbs as of my most recent official weigh-in. I was really hoping not to gain as much this time around, but it's like my body is a weight gaining sponge during pregnancy. I'm trying not to stress about it. I'm just focusing on drinking lots of water and eating the best that I can.

Maternity clothes? Oh, yes. Exclusively except for 2 non-maternity maxi skirts.

Stretch marks? Not yet. I'm sure they will come closer to the end like they did last time.

Sleep? Just ok. I wake up a couple of times to pee. Nora still wakes up most nights at some point for me to get in bed with her. At least I'm still sleeping comfortably. I know that will change soon, too.

Best moment this week? Finally feeling baby girl swimming around in there and a few random thuds. Nora has been really sweet, hugging on my belly, and telling me how cute baby sister is and how much she loves her. (Though she did point to my belly and in reference to the baby ask with a bit of alarm in her voice, "How did this happen??" Um.. that talk is for another day, kiddo!)

Miss Anything? Walking up stairs without getting winded.

Movement? Yes, finally! Not a lot but enough to make me smile.

Food cravings? Random cravings now and then but nothing crazy. Anything making you queasy or sick? Chicken is still hit and miss. Brushing my teeth makes me gag.

Have you started to show yet? Yes! More people are starting to notice and comment on it.

Boy or Girl? Sweet baby girl.

Labor Signs? No, thankfully. It's way too early for that.

Belly Button in or out? In, but it's getting wider.

Wedding rings on or off? On! I had to take them off late in 2nd trimester last time. Hoping to avoid that this time, but the swelling of my feet has begun so I'm getting my hands aren't far behind.

Mood? I feel good! I'm in that 2nd trimester happy zone. I'll take it while it lasts.

Looking forward to? Follow up anatomy scan on Wednesday. I can't wait to see my baby again!!

Other things to look forward to-- I booked a mini maternity photo shoot for mid-November, and I think we're going to schedule a 3D ultrasound for later in November as well. I know those things are still a while away, but it's exciting to think about all of the fun things that are in store for us in the coming months.

Baby Sister

We found out a few weeks  ago that "baby brother or baby sister" is, in fact, a BABY SISTER! We got the results along with good news of no genetic abnormalities, which was all very welcome news.

We told Nora by bringing home a pink teddy bear and some pink pajamas and explaining that it was a gift for her to give to her baby sister. I thought she'd react with excitement because she's been insisting forever that she wants a baby sister, but she didn't give us much of a reaction at all. I figure it's because she has "known" all along that this baby was a girl.

Today, we had the anatomy scan. It's incredible how they can look at the finer details of all of baby's parts and pieces from the brain to the bladder. Everything looked perfect, although they didn't get as good of a look at her heart due to her position and her "tap dancing" (as the tech put it), so they're going to take another peek at my next appointment in 3 weeks.

Here she is waving hello for Mommy and Daddy, who love her SO much already.

And here are her adorable little tap dancing feet.

And finally, here's a picture of my "almost half way there" baby bump.

Little girl's head is just above my belly button as of today. Yep, she's hanging out in breech position, but I'm not too concerned since 1. It's so early and there is lots of time and space for her to flip AND 2. I'll likely have a repeat c-section, anyway.

Finally, two little bits of baby wisdom from Nora:

To Ms. Tracy at daycare, "Baby sister is in mommy's belly. It's getting bigger and bigger. Soon, baby sister is going to fall out!"

She's going to be in for a rude awakening when she learns that babies don't just "fall" out ha!

Speaking to my belly, "Hi baby sister. It's me, Nora! I'm coming to rescue you."

I'm not sure what she thinks baby needs to be rescued from or how she plans to carry out her mission. Should I be nervous??

Anyway, we're looking forward to our next appointment and our next sneak peek at "baby sister".

Sharing our news

I'm so close to being in 2nd trimester, and we had a good NT scan this week, so we decided to share our news not only with any friends and family we hadn't yet told, but also with all of our social media friends on Facebook!

Hooray!

Brad and I definitely share Nora's enthusiasm.

Along with the NT scan, I had the Panorama blood draw done. In "approximately 10 business days", we will have a complete DNA analysis on this little one. That includes information about whether or not he or she may have some kind of genetic disorder (all signs point to no so far, thankfully) and it will also reveal whether baby is a boy baby or a girl baby! Nora has not wavered. She insists it is a baby sister, and I'm starting to believe her.

I also took another picture recently of my bulging belly. The jury is out on how much this is actually related to baby, but considering my belly looks now like it did at 20 weeks with Nora, I'm going to act as though it is.

I wish I could say that now that I'm almost 13 weeks that I was feeling so much better, but I'm still dealing with the constant mild nausea and fatigue. I think with Nora, I started to feel better between 13 and 14 weeks. Or was it 14 and 15? I 'm not sure, but I'm hoping that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is almost in sight!

Wiggly Worm

Today we got to see our little Wiggle Worm again, and s/he has changed so much already.  Baby was showing off by kicking and flipping all over the place, and s/he had a very strong heart rate of 175. Nora's was always in the 150s and 160s, so I was surprised at how high it was. I asked the ultrasound tech if it was ok to be so high, and she assured me that it was in a very healthy range.

Several people have told us that a 2nd pregnancy wouldn't be as exciting as the 1st, but that hasn't been our experience at all. In a way, it's almost more exciting for us because now we know what is waiting for us at the other end. Before Nora, we had no idea what that unconditional love that a parent has for their child felt like, and it was much greater than we could have imagined. Knowing how much love we will have (already have!) for this baby is pretty amazing now that it is no longer uncharted territory.

My next appointment is on July 17th. That's when I'll have the 1st trimester screening that includes the NT scan and the Harmony blood panel. This is something that is offered to patients who are in a "high risk" category. For me, that high risk category is my "advanced maternal age".  We have faith that we will learn that baby is healthy, but we want to have as much information as possible, no matter what the results may be.

Ultrasound and Belly Pic #1

We finally had our first ultrasound on Friday, and it was awesome! We got to see our new little gummy bear and a strong, healthy heart beat.

His or her heart rate was 160 beats per minute and s/he was measuring right on track! According to my chart, I was 7 weeks 4 days on the day of the ultrasound. One of the measurements put baby at 7w6d and the other at 8w1d. Since none of the dates are more than a week off from each other, the doctor is setting my due date according to my chart, which puts this baby's eviction date as January 26th, 2015.

After the ultrasound, we met with Dr. Tatum who did my c-section with Nora. He did such an amazing job during labor and then surgery last time, that I'm very thankful to be seeing him again. He was happy for us, and he even gave me a hug when he congratulated me. He gave me the "advanced maternal age" spiel, and he assured me that he was as confident as he could be based on statistics that this would be a healthy pregnancy.

We talked about how my friend the fibroid is back, and I have pretty much decided that I will opt for a repeat c-section, which means that this little one is probably going to enter this world a little earlier than its due date. Maybe around the 20th instead of the 26th of January.

In two weeks, I have another appointment, and at that time, we'll schedule my first trimester screening (NT scan ultrasound and blood tests that each look for genetic abnormalities) which will take place at UT somewhere between 12 and 14 weeks gestation.

I caved and took my first bedroom mirror belly pic selfie today. Of course, I'm not showing yet, but I started taking pictures early with Nora, so I wanted to do the same this time. A flowy shirt and maxi skirt probably wasn't the best choice for this kind of photo, but there will be plenty of time to see that bulging belly grow and grow.... and grow.

We have started sharing our news with family and close friends, privately, and we expect to go "public" mid-July after the first trimester screening is complete and we get, hopefully, a clean bill of health. Everyone is very happy and excited for us, as expected. I know we'll have lots of love and support over the next 7 months and beyond as we bring #2 into the world.

Feeling Pregnant

Those first couple of weeks of bliss have breezed by, and now I'm smack dab in the middle of first trimester symptoms.  I love this baby dearly, but I could really do without the around-the-clock nausea.

I'm going to fill out my first "pregnancy questionnaire". I will do these periodically over the next 7.5 months.

How far along? 6 weeks 3 days

Maternity clothes? Nah, not yet, though it is tempting. I did buy some maxi skirts and flowy tank tops for summer.

Sleep? I had a few nights when I couldn't sleep at all, but the last couple were fine. The biggest hurdle to me getting a good night's sleep is this baby's big sister.

Food cravings? Tomato juice, cheese and crackers, dill pickles.  I am a pregnant cliche.

What I miss? Excessive amounts of diet coke. Not feeling ill all day long.

What I'm looking forward to? My 1st ultrasound next week. Friday the 13th. My lucky day!

I've left out many of the typical questions because it's just too early to talk about weight gain or movement or signs of labor, but I know all of those things will come with time, and I (mostly) look forward to them.

Here We Go Again!

Last night, we got the best news. Baby #2 is on his or her way! We are so excited/nervous/excited to add one more little person to our family.  We can't wait for Nora to have a little sister or brother and for this little one to have Nora as a big sister.

It looks like my expected due date is January 26th, 2015. I know from last time that it will take forever to get here, and it will also be here in the blink of an eye.

I took these 2 tests this morning. You can see a faint second line on the first one, and a make-no-mistake YES on the other.

I am sure that these are just 2 of many tests I will take in the coming week or so until I settle in to this pregnancy.

We are thrilled knowing that this little one, whoever he or she may be, will complete our family in the most perfect way.