34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: It looks like I'm holding steady at about 40 pounds for now based on my weight at my appointment this past week.

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch marks? Same as last week.

Sleep: Horrible. Since I'm off my feet all the time now when I go to bed at night I'm in pain halfway through the night. My back and my hips are the worst. I'm thinking it is because I am already laying down for most of the day.

Best moment this week: Steve got to feel Megan Grace move again. Also, the fact that she is still with us. We are all just hanging in there.

Labor Signs: Not really other than a few contractions every so often. If I start bleeding again or having more regular contractions then we will be headed back to the hospital for the duration and/or delivery.

Belly Button in or out? Pretty flat at this point.

What I miss: Not being chained to my couch.

What I am looking forward to: See above.

Weekly Wisdom: Follow doctors orders even when you don't want to.

33 Weeks with a Side of Bedrest

How far along? 33 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: No idea because we never made it to my appointments because I was admitted to the hospital instead.

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch marks? Same as last week.

Sleep: Horrible. Since I'm off my feet all the time now when I go to bed at night I'm in pain halfway through the night. My back and my hips are the worst. I'm thinking it is because I am already laying down for most of the day.

Best moment this week: This is a tough one because it was tough week with everything that happened. We are very grateful that Megan Grace is still with us for now though so that is a blessing.

Labor Signs: Not really other than a few contractions every so often. If I start bleeding again or having more regular contractions then we will be headed back to the hospital and likely for an emergency delivery.

Belly Button in or out? Still working on it but it is getting really close to being out.

What I miss: Not being chained to my couch.

What I am looking forward to: See above.

Weekly Wisdom: Follow doctors orders even when you don't want to.

32 Weeks

The 32 week belly. It's large :)

The view of the belly while laying down. I'm not normally brave enough to post bare belly pics but this one is really neat :)

And then there is the one standing up :) Look honey, no feet!

How far along? 32 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: We have an appointment Thursday. I'm sure it is pushing 40 pounds but my health is still good and I'm not uncomfortable most of the time so I'm not too upset.

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch marks? Same as last week but a good friend of mine suggested this cream which I will be purchasing in the very near future.

Sleep: Back to being pretty good. Rolling over is an ordeal at times but overall I can't complain.

Best moment this week: Receiving the blanket for Megan Grace and taking her to play golf. These were some of these final things on my "to do list" and they are done. What a weight lifted off my shoulders.

Labor Signs: Not really but I did have a pretty good bout with some contractions this weekend. Now I am drinking about 100 ounces of water a day to keep them at bay. It seems to be working pretty well.

Belly Button in or out? Still working on it but it is getting really close to being out.

What I miss: Not being so thirsty all day long.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing the results of our last set of maternity pictures we did last weekend. I'm still in love with the first set done by my friend Megan so I can't wait to see these.

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy the food while you have an excuse no matter how many strange looks you get from your husband.

Milestones: I'll have to get back to you on this one this week.

*Picture to come*

How far along? 31 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: Over 30 pounds and counting :)

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch marks? The ones that weren't on my belly before are multiplying but so far they still aren't on my belly thank goodness. Hopefully they stay where they are and continue to multiply instead of relocating to my belly region.

Sleep: It's going. Not great but not horrible either. It seems my dreams are haunting me now. More on that later.

Best moment this week: Getting the amnio behind me along with the glucose test and my Rhogam shot. Hopefully no more pain or needles until delivery!

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still working on it.

What I miss: Not feeling large and in charge.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing the results of our last set of maternity pictures this weekend. I'm still in love with the first set done by my friend Megan so I can't wait to see these.

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy the food while you have an excuse no matter how many strange looks you get from your husband.

Milestones: I'll have to get back to you on this one this week.

30 Weeks

*Please excuse the no makeup, wet hair, just out of bed look. I had showered but things hadn't really progressed much farther as you can see*

How far along? 30 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: Over 30 pounds!! That seems like such a big number but I will deal with it in a few months. My only concern right now is to feed Megan Grace whatever she wants when she wants it :)

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Can't complain (as I yawn while typing).

Best moment this week: Seeing my belly move for the first time ever!! What an exciting moment. It seems like she has gotten a lot more active even during the ultrasound this week so maybe Steve will get to actually feel her move soon.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Working on coming out. It is soooo close to be all the way out and Steve is totally freaked out!

What I miss: Not getting winded so easily when I'm walking around. I sound like a chain smoker. Not good.

What I am looking forward to: Maternity pictures round 2 at the end of the week. Steve and Tonka will be more involved this time if all goes well.

Weekly Wisdom: When in need of sleep just sleep. Can you see the trend here?

Milestones: Honestly, 30 weeks was a "milestone" of sorts and I'm thrilled to be here but like with everything else it is kind of bittersweet. We don't know how long we have left with Megan Grace so that is weighing on me just a bit although I'm still doing pretty well.

I've looked at the ultrasound pictures from this week a hundred times and she is so cute to me. I know we will be so in love with her when we see her that it is going to be hard to let go. Right now I'm just hoping Steve gets to feel her move before we have to let her go. That is really my one last hope for this pregnancy.

Tomorrow I'm going to finish packing for the hospital just in case Thursday's amnio causes earlier than expected labor. I've got a few more things to buy but other than that we know we do not have much longer.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers this week as we would really like a few more weeks with our daughter.

Thanks!

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: About 17 pounds and counting :)

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Sleep itself is fine. The problem appears to be that I can't get enough no matter how much I get. The exhaustion is constant and it is kicking my butt. Just now I put my head down on my desk and asleep I went :(

Best moment this week: Two Mondays in a row I've managed to explain in public that Megan Grace is not going to survive. The two ladies who asked about my pregnancy meant well they just had no idea so I explained the Cliff's Notes version of the story. No tears were shed :) This is progress because when we first got this diagnosis I honestly had no idea how I would ever make it through one of those moments but I did it!!

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Working on coming out. It has a few more weeks though.

What I miss: Not feeling so exhausted all.day.long.

What I am looking forward to: Sleeping A LOT!

Weekly Wisdom: When in need of sleep just sleep. Can you see the trend here?

Milestones: Getting through the dreaded explanation scenario. It really was a fear of mine but I'm pretty good at it. I'm so proud that I've overcome that obstacle because I remember it being one of the first questions I asked my friend Stacy the first time we spoke on the phone.

P.S. Aren't you guys just thrilled that I learned how to use the linky button? I'm so proud of myself!!

28 Weeks

How far along? 28 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: About 17 pounds and counting :)

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: It's going. Last night was better than the night before when was I was up hourly due to sugar overload from a birthday party earlier in the evening. Overall, last night was good minus the hour my allergies had me up sneezing my head off. Oh, the fact that I can still *kinda* sleep on belly is pretty awesome as well!

Best moment this week: Spending Mother's Day with Megan Grace. We didn't take any pictures which was not the highlight of my day but just knowing she was here and moving around was good enough for me.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Working on coming out. It has a few more weeks though.

What I miss: Having more time to relax especially now that I need it! Ok, in all actuality I do but I have a hard time just sitting down and doing nothing. Must work on that.


What I am looking forward to: Getting some of my maternity pictures framed to hang in Megan's room.

Weekly Wisdom: Try not to get too wrapped up in the hormones of pregnancy. They are difficult to manage some days but you just have to keep reminding yourself that this too shall pass.

Milestones: Attending the Mother's Day service at church. It was bittersweet but overall I was pretty joyful. Not sure how I'll feel about it next year but this year I stayed pretty focused on the fact that she is still with us.

27 Weeks!

How far along? 27 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: About 17 pounds and counting :)

Maternity clothes? Yep, although the shirt in the picture above is a regular shirt in a size larger than my regular size. The way they make clothes now gives you more options than just the maternity section luckily.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Last night it was a wonderful 11 hours. I'm guessing the beach took a lot out of me because I was in bed at 7pm last night. I felt great when I woke up this morning though.

Best moment this week: Our weekend at the beach with family, seeing our nephew win his soccer game, and the wonderful maternity photo shoot with a great friend.

Movement: About the same. She just doesn't move much and when she does move its "different" than what I think most people feel. It is rare to actually feel kicks and jabs due to her condition. Its' normally a constant rolling feeling if she is moving.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Working on coming out. It has a few more weeks though.

What I miss: Relaxing at the beach. It was tough leaving yesterday because it was so beautiful!

What I am looking forward to: I'll go short term on this one :) Counting down the hours until lunch today because I'm starving.

Weekly Wisdom: Take lots and lots of pictures and continue to smile even through the rain. I'm actually having a wonderful time just living right now despite all we have going on. It made me smile when I realized it yesterday :)

Milestones: Hitting the third trimester and still feeling great overall. Hopefully that trend will continue until I deliver.

26 Weeks

How far along? 26weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: A lot :) If my math is correct I'm up about 17 pounds give or take a couple. Apparently, ice cream isn't fat free :)

Maternity clothes? Yes. No turning back now.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Last night it was wonderful. 10 hours total with only one hour of being up and restless. I felt great when I woke up this morning.

Best moment this week: Seeing all of the wonderful people who came out to the walk in support of Megan Grace. It was wonderful and we very much enjoyed it!

Movement: About the same. She just doesn't move much and when she does move its "different" than what I think most people feel. It is rare to actually feel kicks and jabs due to her condition. Its' normally a constant rolling feeling if she is moving.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Working on coming out. It has a few more weeks though.

What I miss: Martinis. The wedding on Saturday reminded me of my past love for them.

What I am looking forward to: Picking out the perfect blanket for her to have at the hospital.

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy each day of this pregnancy and don't worry about the future~A much needed reminder from someone who has been here.

Milestones: People actually commenting on the fact that I'm pregnant. It still catches me off guard but so far I haven't lost it in public.

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment I was up a total of 7 pounds. I've got an appointment on Tuesday so I'll keep you posted :)

Maternity clothes? Yes. No turning back now.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Not going so well. Either I'm just really exhausted or I'm not sleeping very well. It could be both I guess but overall all I'm sleep deprived.

Best moment this week: "Spending time" with Megan Grace and taking her to the Farmer's Market.

Movement: About the same. She just doesn't move much and when she does move it's "different" than what I think most people feel because it is rare to actually feel kicks and jabs due to her condition. It's normally a constant rolling feeling if she is moving.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Not feeling so tired all the time.

What I am looking forward to: Picking out the perfect blanket and hat for her to have at the hospital

Weekly Wisdom: Sleep when you need to sleep. I'm a busy body so it is hard for me to just lay down and take a nap sometimes but I can tell my body needs it more now than ever.

Milestones: Battling heartburn. Not really a milestone but it's here :(

24 Weeks on Easter Sunday!

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment I was up a total of 7 pounds. I've found that I have ridiculous cravings for ice cream, chocolate, chicken wings (random yes but this is by far the strongest one), and caffeine (which is limited). Luckily, I've had all of these in the last few days :)

Maternity clothes? Oh yes! See growing belly above :) There are some non maternity clothes I can wear but it is more because of how they are made than anything else.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Going pretty well. Right now I can't seem to get enough though. I'm exhausted between being pregnant, dealing with the situation, and just the busy of life. Sleep is wonderful.

Best moment this week: Taking Megan Grace to the aquarium in Baltimore and reading her the books I got her last week.

Movement: She is moving but it is sporadic. We now know this is because of her condition but she is hanging in there.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Not being thirsty all.the.time and drinking as much caffeine as I want.

What I am looking forward to: Buying the blocks for my maternity pictures and finding Megan Grace a nice soft Minky blanket.

Weekly Wisdom: Try and enjoy each day of your pregnancy, children, life etc. because you never know what tomorrow holds.

Milestones: Making it to 24 weeks with our little girl still hanging in there.

23 Week Belly

I *think* it's growing but really it could be ice cream :)

20 and 21 weeks pictures

The one above is from 20 weeks. It was taken in Beaufort the weekend we found out about Megan Grace's condition.


This one was 21 weeks. The stupid look on my face in these pictures is because my wonderful husband has no idea how to work electronics including my camera :)

23 Weeks ( a day early)

How far along? 23 weeks (tomorrow)!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment I was up a total of 7 pounds. I've found that I have ridiculous cravings for ice cream, chocolate, chicken wings (random yes but this is by far the strongest one), and caffeine (which is limited).

Maternity clothes? Still the same situation as last week. On another related note though I want to say thank you to the many, many generous moms who have been willing to share their maternity clothes. In my closet right now there are a ridiculous amount of really cute clothes just waiting for me to get fat enough to wear them. See there is a good reason for the ice cream :)

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Not going so well. Not so much because of the pain, stuffy nose, peeing, etc. Nope. This week a new addition has appeared. I'm assuming because of everything going on that my mind is races at night. During the day I guess I have more control over my thoughts but at night my mind just lets loose.

Best moment this week: Getting books to read to Megan Grace. It's going to be so much fun!

Movement: She is moving quite a bit today. Fun!

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Not being thirsty all.the.time and drinking as much caffeine as I want.

What I am looking forward to: Buying the blocks for my maternity pictures and finding Megan Grace a nice soft Minky blanket.

Weekly Wisdom: Try and enjoy each day of your pregnancy, children, life etc. because you never know what tomorrow holds.

Milestones: Making it to 23 weeks with my little girl just rolling around in there :)

P.S. I'm adding pictures of weeks 2o, 21, and 23 tomorrow so stay tuned :)

22 Weeks (with a trip to Labor & Delivery on the side)

How far along? 22 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment I was up a total of 7 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Pretty much. It is still strange though how some days I feel rather large and others not so much. Today is one of my not so much days and I'm actually wearing some of my bigger regular clothes.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Not going so well. Between my mind racing with a million different thoughts and the newly acquired back pain it is a bit of a struggle. I'm going to look into getting one of those pregnancy pillows because right now it doesn't matter how I lay it hurts :(

Best moment this week: Hearing her heartbeat while in L&D yesterday. Even though we know she technically isn't doing "just fine" it was good to know she is still hanging out in there.

Movement: Had I filled this out yesterday morning the answer would have been no which is why we ended up in L&D getting checked out. On the way to church I fed her chocolate milk and a donut hoping she would get moving but no such luck. On the way home, I called to see who was on call and it was my doctor actually so I called her to see what she thought. She agreed we should come in although we both felt most likely everything was fine which she was. Last night, she was wide awake and moving tons. Maybe she just wanted to check out the hospital!

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Getting a decent night of sleep and not waking up in pain.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling her move more frequently so I can avoid any additional "scares"

Weekly Wisdom: Eat ice cream. It gets the baby moving and it's full of calcium. At least that is what my friends tell me :)

Milestones: Our first trip to L&D. Haha, everyone has to have a quick trip over there once in a while to resolve all those crazy pregnant woman fears.

21 Weeks

After thinking about whether or not I was going to continue this I've elected to keep doing this each week because 1) I'm still pregnant 2) We haven't given up hope

How far along? 21 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment before our world started to unwind I had her look back to my first appointment and it actually looks like I'm up a total of 7 pounds. 3 of those since my 16 week appointment and 4 were actually before that so I lied just a little when I said I hadn't gained any weight before. Sorry :(

Maternity clothes? Pretty much. I've outgrown just about all my regular clothes so maternity clothes it is but the problem is most of them are a little big. What is a girl to do?

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Still doing good but I just can't seem to get enough sleep no matter how long I sleep. I'm in love with sleep right now.

Best moment this week: Feeling a kick from the outside. It was only one but it was so fun! I was just standing still holding my belly and she kicked me!!

Movement: Megan Grace is definitely moving around in there. It still seems to be a bit sporadic but she is hanging in there.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace. We weren't going to find out but given the circumstances we did find out after they gave us the diagnosis.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: The tiny bit of innocence I had actually left in regards to being pregnant is now officially gone. There wasn't much anyway given my history but now it's gone too never to be seen again.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling her move more frequently

Weekly Wisdom: You are stronger than you actually think you are because when it comes time to face a difficult situation you do make it through to the other side even if you have a few bad days along the way.

Milestones: Feeling her kick me on the outside for the first time.

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment (16 weeks) I had not gained any weight. After eating all weekend I'm certain that number is going to increase at my appointment on Thursday.

Maternity clothes? I'm thinking I may have hit the "in between" stage a little later than most. Yesterday, in an attempt to find something to wear I went through the majority of my closet. Most of my regular tops and bottoms and too small but the majority of the maternity clothes were huge on me. I ended up wearing pair of low rise capris and a shirt I found at The Limited just after I got pregnant. I'm dreading getting ready for work tomorrow.

Stretch marks? No, although I'm certain this isn't always going to be the case.

Sleep: Still doing good in fact I just woke up from a 2 hour nap.

Best moment this week: The fact that I still feel pretty good that halfway is only a week away!

Movement: The little person is definitely moving around in there. I still only feel it every now and then and the last couple of days little one has been really quiet but I'm sure it will return soon in full force.

Gender: Surprise :)

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Still in need of drinks however this week it involves saving my sanity more than just having a nice fruity drink.

What I am looking forward to: Our anatomy ultrasound this week. We aren't finding out the sex but we get to see little one again.

Weekly Wisdom: Try to ignore people as best you can. I'm none too good at this but maybe one day.....

Milestones: 19 weeks. Next stop: Halfway!!

18 weeks

How far along? 18 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment (16 weeks) I had not gained any weight. My doctor thought it was fine. This week I got bored and picked up one of my pregnancy books and it said I should have gained 10-13 pounds by now so that made me a little nervous. I guess we will see what, if anything, I've gained at my 18 week appointment on Tuesday.

Maternity clothes? Still depends on the day but for the most part not yet. My regular pants are a little snug but I can still wear them if I want and I do most days because most of my maternity pants are still too big.

Stretch marks? No, although I'm certain this isn't always going to be the case.

Sleep: This week was wonderful. The last two nights I've slept like twelve hours. I'm still getting up to pee but that is never going to change and I don't notice most nights since I can pretty much sleep walk to the bathroom and back now.

Best moment this week: I'm going to have to say sleeping really well since I know that probably won't last long.

Movement: The little person is definitely moving around in there. I still only feel it every now and then and the last couple of days little one has been really quiet but I'm sure it will return soon in full force

Gender: Surprise :)

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: I'm back to missing my drinks this week. This is so odd because I wasn't a huge drinker before I got pregnant. If this keeps up it's going to be a long few months.

What I am looking forward to: Our anatomy ultrasound this week. We aren't finding out the sex but we get to see little one again.

Weekly Wisdom: Don't worry be happy!

Milestones: 18 weeks. I can't believe halfway is only two weeks away!

17 Weeks

How far along? 17 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: Last week at my 16 week appointment I had gained a grand total of ZERO pounds. Yay! I celebrated with ice cream. It was great!

Maternity clothes? Still depends on the day but for the most part not yet.

Stretch marks? No, although I'm certain this isn't always going to be the case.

Sleep: Still doing pretty good. This week I started getting the leg cramps at night. I've only had two so far but those things are painful and they make my legs feel sore for a couple of days after like somebody punched me. Ouch!

Best moment this week: Hanging out in Raleigh and visiting my sister in laws, getting tons of baby hand me downs, and going to Susan's shower. It was fun but now I'm tired :)

Movement: The little person is definitely moving around in there. It doesn't happen all the time but it is there!

Gender: Surprise :)

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Not worrying about every little thing. I've gotten better but it always seems to be something.

What I am looking forward to: Baby Lavinder playing with all these toys that are currently sitting in his/her room.

Weekly Wisdom: Drink lots of water. When you think you have had enough drink more.

Milestones: Actually having baby stuff in my house and seeing little one on the ultrasound again this past week.

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: Still no idea although I have a regular appointment Tuesday so I suppose I could find out then. I really don't think it's much but really I don't care as long as this kid is healthy.

Maternity clothes? Depends on the day. I've found some days especially in the morning I feel my normal size again but most of the time by later in the day especially if I've eaten a lot the belly appears. I actually took a picture of this phenomenon on Tuesday but figured out we really need to clean our mirrors so it won't be posted :)

Stretch marks? No, although I'm certain this isn't always going to be the case.

Sleep: Not bad at all. The peeing has slowed down until I stand up or roll over on my stomach and I can breathe a little easier now. This is great news!

Best moment this week: Seeing all of my wonderful JLG ladies last night and realizing just how much this little is loved by our friends and family already. It was great seeing them all and being congratulated by so many of the wonderful women who have supported me along this journey.

Movement: Still thinking what I'm feeling is the little person inside. I really have to be still and paying attention to catch it most of the time.

Gender: Surprise :)

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Being a rational, sane person. I'm really not and I can't wait to get back there one day.

What I am looking forward to: Dressing my Baby L in clothes for all the various holidays. Yep, I'm going to be "that" girl!

Weekly Wisdom: If you ignore your husband long enough with his "dietary" rules he will give up. Today he let me buy ice cream at the grocery store. Yay!

Milestones: Hitting 16 weeks! I have an appointment Tuesday for the regular stuff but the next one after that is 20 weeks!! That will be the big appointment where people normally find out what they are having but since ours is a surprise we will just enjoy getting another u/s. Time is really flying by :)