Bedrest, new apps, and I’m (finally!) down to one blog!

I am really struggling right now with baby belly discomfort and tummy trouble. I’ve basically put myself on bedrest. 😦 I am having round ligament pain on my left side, in the shape of a crescent moon, which makes it hard to stand. And there are times (sometimes extended) when my belly is SO heavy that it feels as though Elizabeth is going to fall out! So, I’m spending a lot of time on the couch or lying on my side in bed. I’m not happy with these positions because it means I’m getting very little done, but I do know that this won’t last forever.

We had planned to go to Anna’s house for Melanie’s birthday on Saturday night but it would have been terrible to hurt or be uncomfortable at someone else’s house so we decided to stay home and order Papa John’s instead. Hopefully we will get to see them this week while they’re on winter break.

My discomfort has been so bad that Maggie has to do dinner almost entirely herself. That’s not a bad thing, though, because she does need to learn to cook in these next few years so she’ll be ready for adult life. Anyway, on Sunday she made taco meat for nachos, chopped tomato, and heated up refried beans and corn. Last night she made rice and Chinese chicken. She claims to hate cooking but I think she’s actually proud of herself when she completes a meal.

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A few nights ago, I found five or six new apps on my phone for Samuel. He lit up when I showed them to him. He likes playing on the computer, but the websites he goes to are difficult to navigate because of all the ads, and many of the games are faulty and work only part of the time. So playing on my phone is a better option for him. I found a baby doctor app, connect-the-dots, and a few food creators (pizza, cookies, cake, etc.) Boy, he can wear out the battery fast! haha

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Well, I have finally been able to delete Atlanta Mom of Three and move on!! I didn’t have to wait until April like I thought I would. WordPress updated things, apparently, and I was able to de-register my domain, cancel customization, and then delete it completely yesterday. I went ahead and deleted My Life These Days as well because it just makes me think of the sadness and struggle I was dealing with when we moved here, and through the fall when I was letting go of wanting a baby.

So, I made a new blog that I will keep just for myself, changing the title and header as much as I wish (!), putting things in the sidebar that make me happy, and writing freely (just like this post). I am excited and relieved to have a place just for me. 😀

20 Week Update

We made it to twenty weeks!! Hurray, halfway! 😀

• We had our anatomy ultrasound a few weeks ago and found out that we’re having a GIRL (so excited!!) and that everything looks good (what a relief!) so now it’s just a waiting game until due date.
• Nausea hasn’t completely disappeared. While most days I feel fine, there is the occasional day or two where I feel queasy most of the darn day. Really? Someone needs to tell my body that I’m well into the second trimester! 😉 This past week, there were two days I felt ill, yuck.
• I’m feeling her move every day, especially in the evening and early morning. What a truly amazing feeling. ♥ Somewhere during week nineteen, the movements went from little thumps and bumps to definite kicks and rolls/turns.
• Last I checked, I’d gained six pounds overall, but I go in to see the midwife on Wed, so I’ll come back here and edit once I have a better idea of where I’m currently at (Update: weight gain of 7lbs on 2/10, @ 20w3d). I am really feeling great about my weight this pregnancy;  I’m eating healthy which means I can watch my body do its thing without wondering if I gained more than I should. It will put on exactly how much is appropriate for me and baby to thrive!
• Cutting sugar is going amazingly well. I am baking once a week (usually on the weekend) and enjoying one serving of whatever it is, then leaving the rest to my husband and kids. Otherwise, I’m not having any sugar the entire week (except my one daily cup of coffee). I’m finding that I really look forward to that one treat a week and that I’m not tempted to have candy, desserts, etc. after meals or while we’re out anymore.
• Sleep is okay. I don’t have to get up to use the bathroom most nights, but when I shift positions, it usually wakes me briefly. No big deal.
• I’m definitely feeling large. Haha My baby bump is significant – I’m going to have to take some pictures and post them here, soon! Because of how low she is currently, my maternity pants sort of squeeze/put pressure on my bump, which doesn’t feel good! My abdomen is always very sensitive during pregnancy, but this time it feels even more so.
• I’ve had some digestive issues this time. There have been a few days of diarrhea and cramping but I recover and move on. I called the midwife last Wednesday because I was hurting so much with it. 😦 She didn’t seem too concerned (for the baby) but made sure I knew what to watch for.
• No cravings and very few aversions with this pregnancy. I’m pretty much eating like normal, which is nice!

I guess that’s it! I’m so happy to be halfway to meeting our little girl!

16 Week Update

It’s been a month since my last pregnancy update (I can’t believe how fast it’s going!) and I am now 16 weeks along, with a baby the size of avocado.

I’m feeling okay, overall. Some days I still have nausea, which surprises me because it’s never lasted this long. With both boys, I didn’t have any nausea, and with my girl I was ill until twelve weeks. Makes me wonder if it’s another girl. 🙂 We’ll find out in a few weeks.

I’ve been having headaches, but I can usually drink more water and rest without the need for medicine. I think they are connected to the weather as I seem to have more of an issue when rain is coming in the next day or two, but perhaps that’s just a coincidence.

My vision has gotten worse in my left eye (which also happened during my last pregnancy) so I made an appointment with my eye doctor last week and got a new prescription. I am very much looking forward to reading without having to struggle!

Lately, I only have to get up once at night to pee, so that’s good, but I can’t seem to get into a good sleep position. I am a back sleeper, and I am becoming less and less comfortable because it wakes me up when I move from side to back. My heart rate changes (blood pressure, maybe?) and I feel a lot of pressure in my abdomen/lower back. So, it’s back to my side even though I don’t care for it much! Then, later I wake up on my back again. All night long I do this. 😛

My next prenatal appointment will be this Thursday. I’ll be seeing a midwife I’ve never met, but she is supposed to be real nice. I’m looking forward to hearing the baby’s heartbeat again. ♥

I’ve been growing a lot these last few weeks and craving high protein foods. TMI, but my breasts have certainly grown as well! Not a bad thing when you’re normally on the small side. haha I bought a nursing bra yesterday; I’m going to wear it for a time and then buy another one if I like it. I also bought a pair of maternity pants and a shirt. It’s become necessary to expand my wardrobe a bit (which is HARD as a minimalist!!!)

This isn’t really pregnancy related, but I’ve been sewing a lot for baby this past month! Cloth diapers and wipes, a wet bag, and soaker pads/inserts for the diapers are all things I’ve made lately. It’s exciting to finally learn to sew (and for such a good cause!)

My next update will be in about a month when I’ve reached the halfway mark. 🙂