Almost 4 months along

It's about time I posted how this pregnancy is progressing. Much of it has been different than when I was pregnant with Madeline, but much of it has been the same. I believe my weight gain this time around is less, and like with Madeline, it doesn't really matter what I do or don't eat. The weight just sometimes appears - overnight! But the reality is that I still have a long way to go and the weight can quickly pile on. I'm starting heavier than when I got pregnant with Madeline, so, for now at least, I'm happy that it hasn't piled on as quickly.

I *think* I am past the constant nausea phase. Thank the Lord! It was much worse this time. Much, much worse and it lasted longer.  I'm still exhausted at times, but I'm in bed by 10 most nights and just power through the day. But I am past the ever-constant exhaustion...it's amazing!

One of my first pregnancy symptoms is insomnia. In fact, before I even confirmed I was pregnant, I suspected it because I was waking multiple times a night and couldn't fall back asleep. Sure enough, the test came back positive. There's also the middle of the night toilet runs because of the increased blood volume. But it's nothing like the third trimester, this I know!

Now that I'm feeling better, I feel like the days are going by quicker. I've tried to do some regular walking, but it's so blasted hot outside that it's extremely hard for me to muster the motivation to climb the hills in our neighborhood. I'm eagerly awaiting the Fall and cooler temps and nightly walks. Since I sit down all day in front of a desk, I need to get some type of movement in my routine.

I don't have any cravings, I don't really look pregnant - just thick, and brushing my teeth sends me into gagging fits. I have to admit that I don't really enjoy being pregnant. Sure, there are the wonderful moments of feeling the baby flip-flop inside, but overall, I don't enjoy this part. I'm embracing the second trimester because I know it's the easiest. I still haven't felt the baby move, which is a disappointment since I heard you feel second babies much sooner. I have an anterior placenta - it is in the front versus on the side or top - and that's the culprit.  There have been times that I thought I felt movement, but it's so inconsistent and actually stronger than it should be at this point, that's I'm pretty sure it was something else.  I know it will come eventually.

As for gender, I have no idea. I didn't know with Madeline either. In fact, I first thought she was a girl, then boy for the longest time, and then a few days prior to my 20 week ultrasound, I thought she was a girl again. I thought it was silly and that I should stick to boy, so that's what I did.  This time, I immediately thought boy, then I felt strongly that it was a girl, then back to boy, girl, boy, girl, boy and today's feeling is girl. Obviously, my feelings aren't predictable :-) Like last time, there's a friendly bet (I had to make Craig breakfast in bed since I was wrong!). Craig insists it's a girl. Craig's dad insists it's a boy. We invited my in-laws to the big reveal ultrasound, which I hope to schedule on September 6th (my mother-in-law's birthday), and they'll be there to witness who wins or loses the bet. The loser has to take everyone out to dinner at a steakhouse. It's a fun little bet and I'll be happy either way.

So that's it. It's kind of a boring update, but I do want to remember how this pregnancy was. Despite my lack of warm-fuzzies during pregnancy, I realize what's going on is amazing and is a blessing. I want to remember the good and the bad.

Oh, and Craig and I have been discussing Doulas.  It's my desire to attempt a VBAC with this child. It's funny how so many people I know have already told me how much easier the second cesarean is to recover from, how great it will be to plan the birth (i.e. childcare for Madeline), etc. Even my OB practice's first response was to offer a scheduled cesarean versus talk about the benefits of a VBAC. VBACs don't hold nearly the risks as cesareans and I much prefer to avoid major surgery. I didn't have a natural birth the first time around, but that doesn't mean my body can't do what it was designed to do. There's much more discussion to be had about the Doula (who, incidentally, is already talking to couples about January births! I thought we were way ahead of the curve!) and about delivery, but I'm very confident in my decision to attempt a drug-free labor this time around. As Craig put it, he doesn't really want the doctors to Braveheart me open on the OR table. He saw my intestines just hanging out on the outside of my body during my cesarean.  Yeah, I think I want to try to avoid that!