Just like with Claire, we opted to have the Ultra Screen test performed on this baby. The test screens for Down's Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. The test does not give you definitive results, but it lets you know what the odds are of the baby having an abnormality. We've always looked at it as an opportunity to see our baby and to start educating ourselves in case something is going on. Plus, it's non-invasive, so there is no risk to the baby.
We went in last Tuesday for the sonogram and the bloodwork, and the baby was giving the tech a hard time by not wanting to get into position for the sonogram measurements. It's so fun to watch all of the activity going on in there! The measurements looked good, and the doctor called this Tuesday with the results. She said everything was normal, and that the risk of Down's decreased from around 1 in 325 based on my age to 1 in 2100, and the risk of other Trisomies is less than 1 in 10,000. So, definitely good results!
I'm continuing to feel better - and continuing to grow! I can still fit into my jeans, but I'm definitely starting to show already. I need to start taking belly pictures - I was looking at my photos from last time, and I think I'm already about where I was at 18 weeks last time, even though I currently weigh about what I did pre-pregnancy with Claire (started out this time about 5 pounds less than with Claire). I have always heard most people show earlier - that is proving true for me!
Below I've posted a couple of things I wrote early in the pregnancy before we announced the news - enjoy!
14 weeks, 2 days
Friday, May 21, 2010
Baby 2's First Appointment
Written on 4/6/10
I had my first OB appointment on Thursday, and I'm excited to report that everything looks great! The OB did a sonogram, and we were able to see a heartbeat. This appointment seemed to go by a lot more quickly than my first with Claire. I really didn't have any questions, and my OB and I mainly discussed how I've been feeling and started talking about what type of delivery I want. Since I had a C-section with Claire, I could plan to go straight for a scheduled C-section with Baby 2, but at this point, I'm also a candidate for a VBAC (vaginal birth after Caesarean). I know a couple of people who have had successful VBACs, and I'm glad to know that Dr. N thinks it will be a possibility, but it's definitely something we need to research more. I also think that we won't want to make a decision until much further along - there are so many factors that need to be exactly "right" that I don't want to plan too much at this point.
The "morning sickness" and extreme exhaustion started about a week ago, and it's been interesting to me to see how my body is responding so similarly to the way it did with Claire. Just like with her, I feel okay as long as I don't let myself get hungry, and I am more likely to feel bad in the evenings. My routine is to eat something as soon as I get out of bed, let it settle, then start getting ready. Usually I'm okay with a little snack until I can get my usual peanut butter sandwich as I walk out the door, but I'm finding that as the days go by, the amount of time I have before I need that sandwich gets shorter and shorter. I'm sure I'm amazing my co-workers with the number of snacks I consume each day, but it will all make sense in another month or so!
Also, similar to my pregnancy with Claire, I'm craving fried chicken, potatoes, and tomatoes. I ate half a container of cherub tomatoes after getting home with them from the grocery store on Sunday!
I finally got to share my news with Mom last night. We wanted to wait until after the first appointment to tell anyone, and then over the next few days I either didn't have time to call or was trying to sleep! She is thrilled to hear our news! Dad is at the farm for the week, and she wanted me to be able to tell him myself, so I'll tell him when he gets back this weekend. We're looking for other opportunities to share the news with family, but will wait until after the next appointment to spread the news.
It's taken awhile for it to sink in that I'm really pregnant, but having the first trimester nausea start up made it feel real, and seeing that little flickering heartbeat allowed me to start getting excited. 33 more weeks to go!
I had my first OB appointment on Thursday, and I'm excited to report that everything looks great! The OB did a sonogram, and we were able to see a heartbeat. This appointment seemed to go by a lot more quickly than my first with Claire. I really didn't have any questions, and my OB and I mainly discussed how I've been feeling and started talking about what type of delivery I want. Since I had a C-section with Claire, I could plan to go straight for a scheduled C-section with Baby 2, but at this point, I'm also a candidate for a VBAC (vaginal birth after Caesarean). I know a couple of people who have had successful VBACs, and I'm glad to know that Dr. N thinks it will be a possibility, but it's definitely something we need to research more. I also think that we won't want to make a decision until much further along - there are so many factors that need to be exactly "right" that I don't want to plan too much at this point.
The "morning sickness" and extreme exhaustion started about a week ago, and it's been interesting to me to see how my body is responding so similarly to the way it did with Claire. Just like with her, I feel okay as long as I don't let myself get hungry, and I am more likely to feel bad in the evenings. My routine is to eat something as soon as I get out of bed, let it settle, then start getting ready. Usually I'm okay with a little snack until I can get my usual peanut butter sandwich as I walk out the door, but I'm finding that as the days go by, the amount of time I have before I need that sandwich gets shorter and shorter. I'm sure I'm amazing my co-workers with the number of snacks I consume each day, but it will all make sense in another month or so!
Also, similar to my pregnancy with Claire, I'm craving fried chicken, potatoes, and tomatoes. I ate half a container of cherub tomatoes after getting home with them from the grocery store on Sunday!
I finally got to share my news with Mom last night. We wanted to wait until after the first appointment to tell anyone, and then over the next few days I either didn't have time to call or was trying to sleep! She is thrilled to hear our news! Dad is at the farm for the week, and she wanted me to be able to tell him myself, so I'll tell him when he gets back this weekend. We're looking for other opportunities to share the news with family, but will wait until after the next appointment to spread the news.
It's taken awhile for it to sink in that I'm really pregnant, but having the first trimester nausea start up made it feel real, and seeing that little flickering heartbeat allowed me to start getting excited. 33 more weeks to go!
Pregnant? Pregnant!
My initial thoughts on finding out we were expecting #2 - written on March 25, 2010
It's been just over a week since I got positive results on two pregnancy tests, and it still hasn't sunk in yet that I am pregnant. I took the first test expecting a negative result (it couldn't be possible for me to get pregnant again so quickly, right? Wrong!), and felt a mixture of disbelief and elation when I saw that second line beginning to appear. It was a Dollar Store test, which is what I also used when I found out I was pregnant with Claire, and I once again had to take a second test to be sure. And yes, that one was also positive! We were planning for a second child, so I wasn't in total shock, but I just didn't think it would happen this easily. We are so blessed!
I was already about six weeks pregnant with Claire when we found out, and I was experiencing some pregnancy symptoms at that point, so in my past experience, I didn't having long between finding out I was pregnant and feeling pretty cruddy. When I tested on the 17th, I was 4 wks, 6 days pregnant, and felt pretty much the same as usual. Today is the first day I've had any hint of nausea, and it was very mild and passed as soon as I had breakfast. So, I still don't feel pregnant, which is making it hard to believe. I think this is mostly due to my cautious nature - I don't want to allow myself to get too excited until after we have the first appointment with my OB next Thursday.
Except for a fellow mommy blogger-friend who is also expecting around the same time (and is a good guesser!), Robert and I haven't shared the news with anyone. I thought about telling Mom and Dad while they were here for the weekend, but since we just found out ourselves the day before they arrived, I wasn't really ready to share with anyone and wanted to allow more time for the news to sink in. We are anxiously awaiting the results of our first appointment with Baby L2!
It's been just over a week since I got positive results on two pregnancy tests, and it still hasn't sunk in yet that I am pregnant. I took the first test expecting a negative result (it couldn't be possible for me to get pregnant again so quickly, right? Wrong!), and felt a mixture of disbelief and elation when I saw that second line beginning to appear. It was a Dollar Store test, which is what I also used when I found out I was pregnant with Claire, and I once again had to take a second test to be sure. And yes, that one was also positive! We were planning for a second child, so I wasn't in total shock, but I just didn't think it would happen this easily. We are so blessed!
I was already about six weeks pregnant with Claire when we found out, and I was experiencing some pregnancy symptoms at that point, so in my past experience, I didn't having long between finding out I was pregnant and feeling pretty cruddy. When I tested on the 17th, I was 4 wks, 6 days pregnant, and felt pretty much the same as usual. Today is the first day I've had any hint of nausea, and it was very mild and passed as soon as I had breakfast. So, I still don't feel pregnant, which is making it hard to believe. I think this is mostly due to my cautious nature - I don't want to allow myself to get too excited until after we have the first appointment with my OB next Thursday.
Except for a fellow mommy blogger-friend who is also expecting around the same time (and is a good guesser!), Robert and I haven't shared the news with anyone. I thought about telling Mom and Dad while they were here for the weekend, but since we just found out ourselves the day before they arrived, I wasn't really ready to share with anyone and wanted to allow more time for the news to sink in. We are anxiously awaiting the results of our first appointment with Baby L2!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Claire has an announcement...
That's right - Claire is going to be a big sister! Baby #2 is expected to arrive on November 17, 2010. Last Tuesday was our most recent appointment and sonogram, and the baby is measuring right on track with everything looking great.
This announcement should explain why I haven't been posting as much lately. I had the typical pregnancy fatigue and nausea during the first trimester and spent most of my free evenings resting or huddled on the couch with crackers, but my energy has returned and the nausea has subsided as the second tri has begun. I have a few posts saved that I wrote during the first few weeks that I'll post soon.
We are so thrilled with the news and can't wait to meet the new addition to our family!
Mothers' Day Weekend
Last weekend was the first one in awhile where we didn't either go out of town or have visitors, and we were able to enjoy some good family time. We started off the weekend with a short trip to Sea World. We saw Shamu, the sea lion show, the penguins, and a few other animals before Claire crashed in her stroller.
Before the front came off
Reading with Daddy at bedtime
I'm glad she can sleep anywhere!
We'd been thinking about converting Claire's crib into a toddler bed and decided to go ahead with it and see how she did. She was so excited! She loves being able to get in and out of bed by herself.
We'd been thinking about converting Claire's crib into a toddler bed and decided to go ahead with it and see how she did. She was so excited! She loves being able to get in and out of bed by herself.
Before the front came off
Reading with Daddy at bedtime
We had a little chat before bedtime about staying in bed, and she did great! She didn't get out of bed once (except for the couple of times she fell out in her sleep onto the pillows we left on the floor - never woke up!). The next morning she called for us as usual and stayed in bed until Robert came to get her, and it's been the same every night since. Success!
On Sunday we met Robert's mom at the Grist Mill for a Mothers' Day lunch and enjoyed getting to spend time with her. It was a relaxing and productive weekend!
MS150 Weekend 2010
On the first weekend of May we made our now annual trip to DFW for Robert to ride in the MS150 from Frisco to Fort Worth. While Robert was riding on Saturday, Claire and I took advantage of the opportunity to visit with some of my friends who live in the area. We started out the day with a big breakfast at our hotel and then headed to my friend Sarah B's house a few miles away. Sarah's daughter is a little older than Claire, so Sarah and I were able to catch up while the girls played.
We met up with two of the A&M girls, Lindsay and Angi, and their kids for lunch. It's always interesting wrangling 5 kids ages 4 to 18 months at a restaurant, but we were able to keep them fairly subdued with queso and chips so that we could visit. So much fun to see these girls!
I squeezed in a quick trip to a couple of stores before we left to pick up Robert at Texas Motor Speedway, the finish line for Day One. That evening we went into Fort Worth with our friend Whit to have dinner at Joe T.'s before calling it an early night.
Robert left bright and early Sunday morning, and Claire and I had some fun with a luggage cart as I tried to get all of our gear down to the car in one trip. The weather held up for us to visit the Fort Worth Zoo. I hadn't been in a few years, and this was Claire's first trip. She loved it and was especially fascinated by the monkeys, meerkats, and snake/amphibian exhibits (probably because I let her run around a little at that part!).
We met up with two of the A&M girls, Lindsay and Angi, and their kids for lunch. It's always interesting wrangling 5 kids ages 4 to 18 months at a restaurant, but we were able to keep them fairly subdued with queso and chips so that we could visit. So much fun to see these girls!
I squeezed in a quick trip to a couple of stores before we left to pick up Robert at Texas Motor Speedway, the finish line for Day One. That evening we went into Fort Worth with our friend Whit to have dinner at Joe T.'s before calling it an early night.
Robert left bright and early Sunday morning, and Claire and I had some fun with a luggage cart as I tried to get all of our gear down to the car in one trip. The weather held up for us to visit the Fort Worth Zoo. I hadn't been in a few years, and this was Claire's first trip. She loved it and was especially fascinated by the monkeys, meerkats, and snake/amphibian exhibits (probably because I let her run around a little at that part!).
Meerkats
Snack time!
Sleepy lion
Kangaroos
So fascinated by the snakes!
Examining the aquarium
Working up the courage to touch the lizard
Robert finished around 1, and we were there to meet him in Sundance Square. We said a quick "Hi" to Ma and Bob who made it over for the finish before heading back to San Antonio. It was a whirlwind weekend, but we had a wonderful time catching up with friends and supporting a great cause!
Monday, May 10, 2010
While Daddy is away...
A few weeks ago Robert went on a mission trip with a group from our church to build houses in Mexico. While Robert was doing this...
...Claire and I were on our own for four days. On Thursday we stuck to our normal routine, and on Friday I got in a much needed dental visit before taking Claire to the audiologist that afternoon (which confirmed that her hearing is just fine). But what to do over the weekend?
Fortunately some of Robert's family was heading to Austin for the weekend to celebrate his Grandmommy's birthday, so we met up with all of them Saturday morning at the Wildflower Center and then had a terrific lunch at the Salt Lick. Even Claire tried some of the brisket, and she loved it (although she still finished off her PB&J sandwich). After lunch Claire and I went over to her grandmother's house to visit for awhile. Aunt Carol was on her way from Corpus, so while we were waiting we walked over to the duck pond to feed the animals. Claire had so much fun watching the ducks, geese and squirrels and got brave enough to feed them without hanging on to someone.
On Sunday we stuck to our normal schedule of church, lunch, nap, and grocery shopping. Besides all of our Mommy/Daughter fun, I took advantage of Claire's early bedtime to watch a few movies that I knew Robert wouldn't be interested in seeing, and thoroughly enjoved them all. We had a wonderful time together, but we were definitely happy when Daddy made it back home late Sunday night!
...Claire and I were on our own for four days. On Thursday we stuck to our normal routine, and on Friday I got in a much needed dental visit before taking Claire to the audiologist that afternoon (which confirmed that her hearing is just fine). But what to do over the weekend?
Fortunately some of Robert's family was heading to Austin for the weekend to celebrate his Grandmommy's birthday, so we met up with all of them Saturday morning at the Wildflower Center and then had a terrific lunch at the Salt Lick. Even Claire tried some of the brisket, and she loved it (although she still finished off her PB&J sandwich). After lunch Claire and I went over to her grandmother's house to visit for awhile. Aunt Carol was on her way from Corpus, so while we were waiting we walked over to the duck pond to feed the animals. Claire had so much fun watching the ducks, geese and squirrels and got brave enough to feed them without hanging on to someone.
On Sunday we stuck to our normal schedule of church, lunch, nap, and grocery shopping. Besides all of our Mommy/Daughter fun, I took advantage of Claire's early bedtime to watch a few movies that I knew Robert wouldn't be interested in seeing, and thoroughly enjoved them all. We had a wonderful time together, but we were definitely happy when Daddy made it back home late Sunday night!
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