Baby Update-26 weeks

 

Well, gone are the days of an every two weeks pregnancy update, but I figured I should try and squeeze in an update before I reach the third trimester. 

This pregnancy has been FLYING by! I just have so much else on my mind that I don't have time to think about it as much. In fact, thinking about the baby and preparing for the birth is a nice distraction from the stressful things in my life. 

I was sick, nauseous in the mornings and throwing up 3-4 times a week until about 13 weeks, then I would have random sick days and a threw up a couple more times until about 17 weeks. I was very tired in the first trimester and only had energy for a couple of hours in the late morning, luckily by the time we started school I was starting to feel better. 

The second trimester, everything seems to be happening so much earlier than in past pregnancies. I felt the baby, the first little flutters at 13 weeks, but then by 15 weeks I was feeling all out punches and kicks ALL the time. Like I could have done kick counts from 16 weeks on, feeling the 20 movements in an hour or whatever it is supposed to be. Leland felt the baby move for the first time at 18 weeks, much earlier than any of our others. At my 20 week ultrasound I found out I had an anterior placenta, so I guess that's why? Whatever the reason, this baby sure has made his/her presence known. 

At my 20 week ultrasound, everything looked perfect. I loved seeing the baby. We took the girls and they loved it too. It has been fun that they are excited and understand everything this time. We managed to keep the gender a secret, which I was worried about. The tech had us close our eyes whenever he was going near that part. The girls were pretty sad that we are keeping the gender a surprise but I think they're coming around, or at least have accepted it. 

The past few weeks things have felt harder, I've felt more tired, lots of SPD pain and round ligament pain. At my 24 week appt I was measuring 30 weeks, so no wonder! I measured 4-6 weeks ahead with Esther and Adele my whole pregnancies' too (and Israel I measured on track but he was bigger than both of them) so I'm not too worried, it's just uncomfortable, but it is more evidence for my it's-a-girl theory. Still even with the hard parts, I just love being pregnant. I am definitely one of those people, but it really does feel very special to be pregnant, more so with each baby.

Speaking of the gender, I always thought it would be SO HARD to wait to find out the gender, my other pregnancies  I was dying to know as soon as possible. Maybe it's because we have both genders now or maybe just that I'm older but it hasn't been hard to wait. I love the baby and feel more bonded during pregnancy than I ever have, probably not because of not knowing but because of all the other craziness in our lives lately. I feel pretty strongly that it's a girl. We have a girl name picked out and one back up girl name, and we have no boys names  ha. I don't think I'll be sad if it's a boy, I'll be happy I'm sure, just very shocked.

Here's a few pictures of the little cutie. :)