27 Weeks!

Cravings: CHOCOLATE!!!! 

Symptoms: Lots of contractions. I've had so many in the last week, and they hurt and they make me feel like I'm about to wet my pants... lovely! Haha! 

Complaints: Sore/painful back. 

Weight gain: I checked this morning and it was still at -8lbs! 

Movement: Of course!

Doctor appointment results: No doctor appointments! 

Mood: Stressed... it's been a busy couple of weeks! 

Planning: Same old, same old. Trying to figure out where I get to give birth! I thought I had it all figured out, but now it looks like that still isn't going to work, so I'm back to square one, again. We got a mini crib though! It's still bigger then I thought it was going to be, so it takes up a little more space then thought in our room, but it's cute and I love it! 

Advice: None that I can remember! 

Dreams: Nothing too odd or anything about baby. Oddly, I have hardly had any baby dreams this pregnancy! 

Baby Size: He's the size of a head of rutabaga. 

Cute Stuff: Now that my belly is popped out more, the kids more so believe that there is a baby in there, which is fun! Also, we've gotten to see some really small babies lately, so they can kind of make the connection that this is actually what is in my belly :)

Other events of the week: We're having a yard sale this weekend, though right now it's closed because it's raining, hence me having the time to write this blog post :) Also, we have found out that Gabriel is allergic to bees :( We got to spend last weekend in the ER, and pumping Gabriel up with meds. It was scary, nerve wracking, and filled with sleepless nights because there was a chance that Gabriel would stop breathing in the middle of the night when his meds would wear off. I wouldn't wish that on any child or any parent. Maybe I will write a post, going into more detail about it, when I get around to it! 

25 Weeks

Cravings: Fruit and CHOCOLATE!!!! Please, does anyone have some chocolate I can have? It's delicious! 

Symptoms: Things are getting loose... which means my lower back is shifting/hurting more. Also having lots of practice contractions, though I don't remember them hurting with the other two kids at this stage, but there is definitely discomfort this time around! Baby belly also popped quite a bit in the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, it was still hide-able. Now? Not so much. 

Complaints: Sore/painful back. 

Weight gain: I believe it's at -8lbs. I think I finally had my month (that we all seem to have when we're pregnant) where all the sudden you put on 5-6lbs in one month. 

Movement: Yes, I can see him move now too. He finally popped up and out enough! 

Doctor appointment results: Um, all I do is get frustrated when I go to my appointments :( This last time I got irritated because there was a medical student with him, which I normally don't mind, but I swear it made my doctor act like an idiot. He couldn't even find the top of my uterus, instead was pushing into my diaphragm, which hurt, and I'm laying there thinking 'um, it's exactly where it looks like I swallowed a cantaloupe... not somewhere magically higher dude' and then he tried passing it off saying 'oh, well, it's just so hard to find on her'.... cause somehow a 24 week uterus is hard to find on anyone, especially when it's popping out while you are laying down... Seriously? If a midwife can find it at 17-18 weeks, and a chiropractor can find it at 12 weeks, he should be able to find it at 24 weeks. Which, then, because he measured way up into my diaphragm, he said I measured 'big' at 26 weeks which irritated me even more because I NEVER measure big. With my other two kids, even when I was nice and big, I measured small, I never even measured on. So now, magically, even though my stomach is the same size as with the other two, I somehow measure big... hmm... maybe if he would have gone a good 2 inches lower, he would have had a more accurate measurement. Ok, so I'm slightly (ha!) more irritated then I should be about the whole thing, but I had Eli with me for his 3rd year check up, in which I talked to the doctor about a shot for Gabriel that he had a bad reaction too when he was younger, and then the doctor gave me this 20 minute lecture about how my kids are going to get sick and die because I don't vaccinate them when they are little and how I'm going to kill other peoples kids too, and how even though Gabriel had a really bad allergic reaction to the DTaP shot it does not mean he should not continue the shot... even though the papers that they give you at the hospital specifically say 'if you or your child have had 'this' reaction to getting the DTaP shot, they should NOT get another dose.' And another doctor that I used to go too also said Gabriel should not get the entire shot, only the DT part of it. And then this doctor refused to get me a separated shot for Gabriel with only the DT in it when he is supposed to go in for his 5 yr checkup in two months.  Seriously, so irritated! 

Also, I'm just permanently irritated with him that he insists my due date is October 19th because that's what the average women's due date would be with my LMP even though I have a way longer then average cycle and two ultrasounds have confirmed that baby should be due way later. I still go with my due date that I've gone with all along, which is in line with what the two ultrasounds I've had... and if they try to convince me I'm 'over due' when Ocober 19th comes along... well, I just may have to give them a piece of my mind. 

BTW, I've just had it with doctors lately. Hence my venting. Hence being way more irritated then needed. Hence needing a lot of chocolate lately. Hence this post being really long. 

Hence.

Hence.

It's kinda a fun word... 

Anyway...

You probably just went WAY further into my head then you ever wanted to go... sorry :) 
Mood: Stressed. 

Planning: Trying to find a place to have this baby. I know everyone thinks that it's about control, that I don't want to have another c-section, but honestly, I just want what is healthiest and safest for me and baby. And, I don't see why I should have to put baby boy and I at risk because of close minded doctors and stupid hospital policies. Ugh, if you saw my rant on facebook, you know how truly frustrated I am about this. 

Advice: I got some tips on doctors in the area. 

Dreams: I had a dream the other night where there was this girl, who was in danger and on the run, and one guy was trying to help her and protect her, and one guy was trying to go after her. Anyway, it's was like this awesome action film dream, involved with bombs, guns, planes, different countries, and even comedy. I kept hitting my snooze button just to see how it ended, but in the end, the fact that I had a client coming that morning and really needed to shower trumped the end of my dream. So, I never got to find out what happened... it was such a bummer! 

Baby Size: He's the size of a head of cauliflower. 

Cute Stuff: My kids :) 

Other events of the week: I feel like life has been kind of busy lately. It's just kind of been getting together with friends and family though. We had a fun 4th of July, 5th, 6th, and 7th of July too :) Then we've just been busy with trying to clean up the house and property from a big storm we had back in June, and I've been having some clients and working at La Peinado as well. It just feels busy! 

23 Weeks

Cravings: Fruit, fruit, and more fruit! I love summer! 

Symptoms: Little guy is super LOW! Seriously, he's kicking things he really shouldn't be kicking... if you know what I mean. The few times I've tried to get Gabriel or Josh to feel the baby, I have to push their hands super low and, of course, whenever their hands go on my belly, little guy decides to stop kicking, every time! 

Complaints: Sore back at times... frequent bathrooms trips as well...

Weight gain: At this point, I have no idea. I think my scale is on crack. I will step on it, it will say -12. Step on it again, -9. Step on again and it's -19. So, it's somewhere in the midst off all those numbers.  

Movement: Yep! 

Doctor appointment results: No doctor appointments recently!  

Mood: Tired, stressed, umm, stressed and more stressed. 

Planning: Thinking about names and where in the world I'm going to find clothes and such for this little munchkin :) 

Advice: N/A. 

Dreams: I'm too tired to remember any of them, haha!  

Baby Size: He's the size of a grapefruit :)

Cute Stuff: I think Gabriel might be opening up to the idea of baby being a boy. He tried to convince me that we should name the baby Gabriel, so that it's just like him :) 

Other events of the week: I turned 26 years old :) I didn't get to do anything for my birthday though. I had gone out to my parents to drop the dog off for the night and I was so tired since I hadn't had any sleep the night before. But, the next day we went 'camping'. Really, we pitched a tent in my parents yard and took day trips to go fishing and play on playgrounds. We also went swimming in their little pool, a lot! We got lots of sun :) I only lasted one night in the tent though. Baby and I gave up on the second night and snuck inside to a nice comfy bed :) 

21 Weeks

Cravings: Fruit, and I have been craving some sweet fruity candy, but I haven't caved... yet. 

Symptoms: At 20 weeks, apparently baby 'drops' out of your pelvis, and that definitely happened to me. I feel like my tummy got twice the size in the last week! 

This is my belly at 20 weeks :) It has popped a bit more since then. 

Complaints: My lower back is starting to hurt a bit more, got to get on those exercises on a more regular basis so I'm not dying in a few weeks!

Weight gain: Last time I stepped on the scale a few days ago, it was -15 lbs.  

Movement: Yes, baby sure loves to kick my bladder! 

Doctor appointment results: Which one? Ugh, I've been to the doctor WAY too much lately, seriously. Lets see if I can go in order... regular doctor appointment a few weeks ago, good! Baby was healthy! 20 Week ultrasound, baby is healthy, a bit stubborn, and a BOY!!! In the past week, starting Thursday, urgent care doctor diagnoses severe UTI (didn't have to tell me, I was crying by the time I got to his office in pain, and, every time baby kicked me I about fell to my knees in pain. I had to go home from there, therefore canceling my next two clients at La Peinado... worst first day of work EVER! I then laid in bed, in pain, the rest of the day until that evening...). ER doctor that night, possible kidney infection, almost keep me overnight but just skimmed out of that one because my white blood cell count was just low enough but still high, they tell me to go home, continue to take my prescription and if I develop  a fever or it gets worse, to come back in... lovely. Next day, chiropractor appointment, and then another doctor appointment to check up from the night before. Thankfully, even though I was having stomach pains all day, they determined I was not in preterm labor, the UTI was getting better, and the kidneys looked good, and I was supposed to take it easy over the weekend... which didn't really happen but I'll get to that. 

Mood: Tired. I feel off ever since Thursday, just tired and sore and, well, 'off'. Maybe it's the meds I'm on, or maybe I just need more rest...

Planning: Nothing really, I should be thinking of names, going clothes shopping, and getting a crib... but in reality, it's kind of been a bad couple of weeks and none of that has happened... hoping for some better days to come! 

Advice: Not that I can remember... besides the doctor telling me to take it easy, lol! 

Dreams: Yes, none about baby though which is odd!  

Baby Size: I believe the last email I got said baby was the size of a pomegranate :)

Cute Stuff: Gabriel is extremely disappointed that baby is not a girl. He tried to convince us that baby girls have penis' too and that's why there was a penis in the ultrasound picture, haha! 

Other events of the week: Well, Eli's birthday was on Saturday (hence why I couldn't just 'take it easy' this weekend like I was supposed too). I spent Friday night up late decorating and wrapping presents. Then on Saturday he woke up to lots of balloons floating about and streamers hanging from the ceiling :) In the afternoon we met some family at the AmericInn in Moose Lake and went swimming. Then we headed back out to our place for dinner, cake and ice cream, playing in the dirt and on the playground, presents, and finished the night off with a campfire and smores. Whew! Then today, Sunday, was Fathers Day. So, I got up with the boys, let Josh sleep in, made him a yummy breakfast, then we had to take care of some things outside like the lawn and my poor garden that needed to be watered on Thursday when I ended up in urgent care and the ER and never got a drop of water until today. We then headed out to my parents for the rest of the day and finally we are home and relaxing. 

18 Weeks

I can't believe that I am almost half way through this pregnancy already! 

Cravings: Chocolate :) 

Symptoms: Growing belly, a little bit discomfort during the night, constant trips to the bathroom, and still a little morning sickness and fatigue, but it's finally getting a little bit better!!!! 

Complaints: Nothing really! 

Weight gain: Somewhere between -10 and -13... I'm a fluctuate-r normally and I weighed myself two days apart, so I either am fluctuating or I gained 3 pounds in two days, lol.  

Movement: Yes! Baby is definitely moving now! Love it! 

Doctor appointment results: Good! Babies heart rate is good, and we scheduled the big ultrasound!!! Yay!!!! Two more weeks and we get to see the baby!!!!

Mood: Good!

Planning: Trying to figure out where to give birth! I've met with a midwife for the new birth center opening up in Duluth, and that went well... I'm just not 100% sure yet. So I'm going to make an appointment at Essentia and interview some doctors there as well. Moose Lake, Cloquet, and St. Lukes are out of the question, so really my only options left are the birth center or Essentia. 

Other planning, I need to get back into exercising again! Now that I am finally feeling a bit better, I really need to be disciplined and do my exercises every day. Why? Well, not only is it good for you, but I get severe pubic symphysis when I'm pregnant. It was awful with Eli and it only gets worse with each kid you have... and I for one don't want to be on my knees in pain multiple times a day, and in public, because my pubic bones slipped so far out of place while I was walking around or standing. The only way to lessen/prevent the pain is to strengthen the muscles in and around your hips, so I really need to start working on it before I start experiencing the horrid pain on a multiples times a day basis. I did some squats last night, but I need to actually write down what I need to do so I don't forget it and so that I can make sure I get all the muscles targeted that need to be worked on. 

Advice: Nothing that I can remember or that was new! 

Dreams: Yep! I had a dream that we had a boy, and that we had it sleep in our pantry... haha! Also, the most random people show up in my dreams! Last night I had a weird dream about lava, vampires, and the girl from Mama Mia... 

Baby Size: The size of a sweet potato! 

Cute Stuff: Gabriel is still convinced the baby is a girl, haha! We were joking around about naming the baby 'Jack' if it was a boy, just for the shear sake that it's Eli's favorite character in his favorite movie. Well Gabriel overheard us talking about it and got so mad, 'No! The baby is gonna be a girl cause we don't have one! God is giving me a sister! And we are going to call her 'Princess' and that is going to be her name!' Also, Eli went with my to the doctor appointment I had this week and the doctor pulled up a chair close to the table and Eli got to help measure me and listen to the babies heart beat and stuff, he thought it was pretty cool! 

Other events of the week: My husband and I got to celebrate our anniversary! This is the first year we didn't go away for a night or plan anything 'big'. We just went out for a movie, stopped to get Rocky Mountain Mints (date night tradition!), sat in Barnes & Noble looking at books, and then went out for dinner! It was fun and we haven't had a chance to be kid free for a super long time, so it was nice just be alone together for once!