He or She… What Could It Be?

January 14, 2018 nk3301 Comment

Once again, we are not finding out the gender of this baby, but I thought it would be fun to look at the old wives’ tales and do some comparisons.

Old Wives’ Tales for Gender

Carrying high or low?

Baby’s heart rate <140 or >140?

Mama craving sweet or sour/salty?

Chinese calendar (based on lunar age) says:
(This was a tricky one! Just using my age with the Western calendar, it said I was having a boy, but when I did the lunar age, it said girl.)

Mama’s skin is good or bad?
(I’m actually not sure on this one either… I’m not having any breakout, but I am dealing with eczema this time around, so I guess it could go either way.)

When dangling a ring on a string over the belly, did it go back and forth or in a circle?

Did Mama have morning sickness or no sickness?

Has Mama been moody or mellow?

Have Mama’s feet been colder or warmer than normal?

Mama’s intuition says…

Just based on these 10 things, it looks like we’re in for another boy! But… I was pretty sure Gerrit was a girl and was 100% wrong, so take my mother’s intuition with a grain of salt, haha! Click here for a look at the old wives’ tales for my first pregnancy too.

And an up-to-date comparison of the belly:

I will make up an actual Baby Pool where everyone can vote when we get closer to the due date, but as of now, what’s your guess??

Baby #2: Week 20

January 9, 2018 nk330Leave a comment

It’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through this pregnancy, give or take! I feel like the first trimester went really slowly, but the holidays really sped things along.

We had our monthly appointment this week, and everything is looking good. The doctor says the heartbeat is “strong and fast.” 🙂 It was a pretty quick visit, and we got a referral to the hospital for the anatomy scan. Looking forward to that, since we’ll get to see how everything is going in there!

How far along: 20 weeks on 9 Jan 2018

Approximate size of Baby: the size of a Belgian endive or a banana (6-6.3″ long)

Gender: I have no idea

Weight gain: none (back at pre-pregnancy weight)
Symptoms: back pain, fatigue, headaches, breast tenderness, dry skin

Back pain isn’t horrible, but I definitely feel it when I’m on my feet for a lot. I had one evening with this pinched nerve feeling in my lower back… that was pretty unpleasant. I hope I don’t end up dealing with sciatica…
Fatigue was high on the symptoms list this week, but I had a cold, and that contributed to me sleeping poorly.
I had 3 days in a row of a very persistent headache.
You’d think nursing for so long would have my boobs toughened up, but no.
Still randomly gagging/dry heaving.
My skin issues are improving. I mentioned it to the doctor and got the response I expected: “This cream is helping? Okay, just keep using it then.” Thankfully, Sudocrem really has helped clear up the worst of it. I’m using a coconut oil lotion after I shower now too to help prevent any more issues.

Maternity clothes: Yes. I still wear some regular tops, but I can see that that might not work much longer.
Stretch marks: no new ones
Belly button in or out: in
Sleep: It wasn’t very good when I was coughing and congested. This cold bug has been pretty quick to get through my system though thankfully… sleeping much better as we hit the end of week 20.
Best moment this week: Finding out Andrew’s assignment! I’ll be honest, it’s more of a best/worst moment thing because it wasn’t what we were hoping for, but at the same time, it’s nice to not be worrying about it anymore.
Looking back, when I was 20 weeks pregnant with Gerrit, Andrew was sewing on Staff Sergeant rank. This time at 20 weeks, he is nearing the end of pilot training. It’s pretty amazing how life has changed in 3.5 years!
Miss anything: Not really. Now that I’m mostly feeling better and I can feel the baby moving, I’m feeling pretty happy!
Movement: Yes! It’s pretty exciting to feel movement every day now!
Cravings: I had a few nights in a row where I craved sugar. A friend sent sugar cookies as part of our Christmas gift, and I’ve been using them as my midnight snack. Other than that just pasta. I think I eat pasta every day now.
Looking forward to: Baby’s anatomy scan, even though we aren’t finding out the gender. Hoping to get a call from the hospital soon with that appointment!

Baby Update · Daily living · Holiday · Parenting · Travel

Baby #2: Week 19

January 2, 2018January 9, 2018 nk3302 Comments

Happy New Year! We are almost to the halfway point of this pregnancy as we enter 2018!

How far along: 19 weeks on 2 Jan 2018

Approximate size of Baby: the size of a zesty zucchini or a hedgehog (5.5-6″ long)

Gender: Well, while visiting with family, the majority think girl!

Weight gain: none (-1 lb again)
Symptoms: back pain, fatigue, breast tenderness, dry skin, nausea/vomiting, dizziness

Back pain isn’t horrible, but I definitely feel it when I’m on my feet a lot. I did a lot of cooking/baking in Kansas, so my back was sore a lot.
Traveling is never good for Gerrit’s sleep. Our first night on the road was a freak event: Gerrit slept through the night for the first time in months! But the rest of the nights were not great, and I was chronically tired. He picked up a cold bug, and was up every 1-2 hours for the last few nights of this week, and I was really struggling the next day.
Breast tenderness is back…
Still dealing with what I think is eczema. Sudocrem seems to be helping it the most, but I’m going to talk to my OB about it at my next appointment. I also picked up some shea butter cream to try out.
Some nausea, more gagging/dry heaving, and my last night of week 18 I threw up again.
Dizziness comes and goes. It’s usually just when I stand up too quickly.

Maternity clothes: Yes. It was REALLY cold this past week in Kansas and even when we got back home to Texas, so my sweaters got some use!
Stretch marks: no new ones
Belly button in or out: in
Sleep: Not great. Despite being tired, I’ve been kind of restless (we were in unfamiliar beds this past week too), and I’m just not sleeping as much as I should be. There were 5 kids running around the house we were at, so sleeping in and naps were kind of out of the question.
Best moment this week: Just being with family! Seriously though, with all the craziness of being in a house with 8 other adults and 5 kids, it was so great. I was barely on my phone at all, because I was never bored! Gerrit was entertained almost all the time by his cousins, and I actually got to sit, relax, and talk with adults. Like I said, a house full of 14 people was a little crazy sometimes, but I really enjoyed having everyone together.
Miss anything: Sleep
Movement: Yes! I would say this was the week I can say I definitely felt movement. Gerrit was sleeping on a toddler air mattress on the floor while we were with family, so every time I got up with him, I’d have to squat or hunker down somehow next to him, and the baby definitely let me know he/she was feeling squished in those positions! I felt movements at other times too, but mostly in the evenings.
Cravings: extra sharp cheddar cheese and green apples
Looking forward to: My next OB appointment and Andrew’s Drop Night when he gets his aircraft assignment!