Fetus Viability

This week marks a very important part in my pregnancy. At 24 weeks, a fetus is said to be able to survive outside of the womb, with extensive medical intervention of course. These next few weeks truly make the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. 20-30% of babies born at 23 weeks will survive, while 50-70% can survive if born at 24 or 25 weeks. And an astonishing 90% of babies born at 26 to 27 weeks survive given the proper care.

This is not to say I want my son making his debut any time soon, but it is reassuring to know that he stands a fighting chance if he did. The first weeks of pregnancy are emotional, and reaching the 12 week point where the risk of miscarriage significantly drops down is such a relief. This is that feeling all over again.

My son is so unbelievably active already and is developing wonderfully! I love taking time out of my busy day to just hold my belly. I feel as if I can play with him already...he sure loves to kick me back when I try to poke him! The whole concept of creating a new life never seizes to amaze me and I thank God every day for being able to do this all over again.

24 weeks also marks the start of month 6! I can't believe how unprepared I am for this little guy. By six months I had nearly everything prepped and ready to go for Lucas. I have honestly not done a single thing for this baby. It's amazing how different your priorities are the second time around, and how drastically your excitement levels drop off. I suppose knowing what to expect really changes your perspective on things. I'm a procrastinator in every other aspect of my life, so I guess planning for this second baby should be no exception :)

BIG

23 weeks!
According to Lucas, I am big. Well, not just big...I'm BIG! Thanks, son.

He caught a glimpse of me getting out of the shower and nearly stopped in his tracks. He said "WOAH, you're big mom!" and his eyeballs looked as though they were about to pop out of their sockets. How could I not laugh?

Levi took Lucas on a bike ride to the park and then they played kung-fu in the front yard for nearly an hour afterwards. (These boys are absolutely hilarious to watch!) When they came in I was asking him a bunch of questions about what they were doing. Who was winning? Who was fastest? Who's stronger? And so forth. Of course he naturally claimed himself to be the winner, and to be the fastest, but he proudly admitted that daddy was the stronger of the two. When I asked him who was smaller he answered he was. When I asked him who was biggest...without any hesitation he blurted out "MOM". Ugh, I wasn't even included in these daddy/Lucas comparisons and Levi could not stop laughing hysterically. He claimed that Lucas was definitely trying to tell me something :)

We had Levi's birthday dinner last night at Benihana (YUM!) and the couple sitting next to use were so sweet and kind. They just adored Lucas and couldn't stop complimenting on how well he was behaving. I think they were more interested in Lucas' expressions than watching the chef themselves! Anyways, as I naturally do, I had to excuse myself for a restroom break. When I returned, the wife turned to me and said that her and her husband had a bet going on. I smiled and assumed the upcoming question was whether I was having a boy or a girl...but it wasn't! They wanted to see who could guess closest to my due date. I instantly chuckled and thought "oh boy, this is going to be interesting". The wife estimated I was due in mid-June and the husband thought early July. I looked at Levi and we both start laughing! When I admitted they were both wrong and that I wasn't due until the end of August, they were speechless. Apparently I look more like 8 months pregnant than 5.

I must admit that gaining weight has been a walk in the park for me this pregnancy! With Lucas, I struggled to gain despite working up on the slopes where the entire kitchen staff nearly spoiled me rotten. This time, however, I feel as though I'm barely eating and yet I'm packing on the pounds. The "recommended" weight gain at this point in my pregnancy is one pound per week. This time I'm averaging about two! My midwife laughed on Monday when she realized I put on almost 8 pounds in just 3.5 weeks. I honestly don't touch the scale unless I'm at an appointment and feel that my body is going to gain whatever it needs to in order to make a healthy baby!

So yes, most importantly, my toddler thinks I'm huge. Little does he know my belly still has a lot of growing to do!

What they DON'T tell you

I'm sure I've made it known on a million different occasions...I just love being pregnant! There is nothing more beautiful or rewarding than creating and nurturing a new life. I love my growing belly (and cup size!) and I especially love feeling my son move around. I'm remind each day how blessed I am to carry another child!

BUT...I'm in pain. Everybody loves a belly and the entire concept of pregnancy, but you don't really know what you're getting yourself into until you physically experience it. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows, I can promise you that. Most people think of morning sickness and swollen feet but let me tell ya, that's not all! I suffered from a number of unpleasanties with Lucas, but I knew that it was all worth it in the long hall.

This time around has been pretty uncomfortable to say the least. The second trimester is known as the honeymoon phase of pregnancy because morning sickness is no more and belly size isn't too significant. I am eating wonderfully and happy to be active again, but there are three main areas that just don't seem to be going my way:

1. Heartburn. Oh. My. Goodness. I don't remember it being so severe last time but I am now dependent on tums. Eating seems to make it so much worse, but going hungry is obviously not an option. My therapy? Ice cream! Every night has ended with a yummy serving of ice cream...which just gives me that extra calcium boost(or so I'm going to claim!)

2. Incontinence. This may sound like a laughing matter, and although it is for Levi, it's not! If I sneeze, cough, laugh too hard, or stand up too fast....I often pee my pants. This happened a small number of times with Lucas when I was in my third trimester, but now its a fairly common occurrence. Apparently I need to work on those kegels!

3. My aching back!! I had to get a back support brace during my third trimester before because the distribution of weight gain proved to be a bit more than my spine could handle. Unfortunately, this baby is no exception. He only weighs 1lb at this point but I am already having difficulties sleeping and getting through the day without needing a good rub down. Last night I threw my back out and was paralyzed with pain. I have never experienced anything like that before and it was nearly 15 minutes before I could stand again. I tried to push through the pain and resume a standing position, but my back just physically wouldn't budge. I guess its time to start seeing a chiropractor again! Lucas weighed 8.5lbs at birth and if this one is anything close to that...I'm in for a rough couple of months.

I will only be 22 weeks tomorrow and realize that I still have quite a bit of time before baby makes his debut. I'm trying to take it easy and go for walks when I can. I say a good massage needs to be in my very, very near future!

Goodbye, 1st trimester!

I've made it! Well, to the second trimester that is :)

Thanks to the lovely placenta that I've created, my baby is now being provided with oxygen, nutrients, and a nice waste disposal system. But best yet, my morning sickness in almost a thing of the past as the hormone levels in my body have finally steadied themselves out! (Big yay!)

Baby is approximately the size of a peach and very much human like in appearance at this point. No more little alien looking creature with a tail! The pancreas has begun secreting insulin and the liver has begun secreting bile. The tiny little kidneys are even practicing their work too! Yep, there's now fetal urine mixing in with the amniotic fluid. Must be tasty, huh? All of babies little teeth have formed and are waiting under the gums to make an appearance some time after birth. (Oh, the dreaded teething...*sigh*) Although my little one only weighs somewhere between 13 and 20 grams, and is only about 3 inches long...it is going to start growing at a rapid 1 inch per week! The vital systems are all fully developed and now the main focus goes into getting this baby bigger. Grow, baby, grow!


I came across this picture recently and was so drawn to it! These are the actual sizes of a fetus from 7-12 weeks...crazy to think my little one is just a tad larger than the biggest one in the photo! And even funnier that I have this big 'ol belly when my baby can fit into the palm of my hand! Although babies heads account for nearly half of their body length at this point, it will decrease to only 1/4 of the body length by birth. Let just pretend that they are all geniuses with gigantic brains :)

The second trimester is the time when most moms feel their best and energy levels return. With that being said, I am definitely gearing up for Hawaii! Besides, if I need a nap, what better place than on the beach under the warm sun while listening to the natural sounds of the ocean?!

17 days and counting!

Overachiever?

Me? An overachiever? Um...guilty as charged.

I graduated high school with over a 4.0 and as an honorary member of the Health Careers Academy. I could have gone to any college of my choosing, but decided to stay close to home and save money at a local community college. It wasn't long after attending ARC that I was recognized in the Who's Who Among American College Students publication, placed onto the National Dean's List, and given another opportunity to be a US Student Ambassador (which I sadly had to decline once again).

I am now in my third semester at UAA and doing very well! I was nominated for the Golden Key International Honor Society a few months back and just received a letter this week that I have been placed onto the Chancellor's List for maintaining a 4.0 while enrolled in 12 or more units. And best of all, I was just asked to join a pre-nursing program in Australia this summer through the International Scholar Laureate Program. It's a wonderful career-focused study in Melbourne and Sydney that introduces students to nurses roles in the Australian health care system. For being a Golden Key member I am eligible for a wonderful scholarship and I could easily experience this very exclusive program. I would love love love to go...but traveling out of country just before I'm due to give birth isn't the smartest idea. Nor could I imagine leaving Lucas for a few week. It was an honor to be nominated, but it's not something I can do at this point in my life.

I have been given so many opportunities because of my excellent academic performance, but have surprisingly enough chose mother hood as my top priority. School has always been something I needed to excel at, but my priorities have now shifted. Don't get me wrong- I'm still working for that 4.0, but the drive I felt once before is now gone.

With Levi gone for nearly a week I was so overwhelmed with my work load. Any time I tried to get work done Lucas would tell me to put the computer down and read him a story. It broke my heart. I don't want him to remember me glued to my books, but I also want to finish school now while he is young. I feel so torn and pulled in various directions at the same time.

I spent quite a few hours on Saturday and nearly all day on Sunday trying to catch up with the work I couldn't manage to finish during the week. Being pregnant is HARD work! However, I am very proud of myself. Instead of pushing to do work while Lucas napped, half the time I joined him. As much as I want to believe I'm a super mom and can handle whatever is thrown before me, I have to listen to my bodily ques.

I got my weekly baby newsletter a few days ago and it really opened my eyes. I have a new quote to remember:

"Pregnancy fatigue is normal, especially at this stage. That's because you're running a baby-making factory that's in business 24/7, causing your pregnant body to work harder at rest than your non pregnant body did on the run."

So putting my body and my baby first, I have been trying my best to relax and not stress the small stuff. My school work took much longer to complete than I hoped, but I got it done and that's all that matters. I worked little by little and took breaks when I needed. My life has always been hectic and on the go, but I am quickly learning the importance of down time. Listening to my body is now my top priority. It's okay to do the bare minimum once in a while...or so they say!

Showing Already??

I can honestly say that this pregnancy has been quite different from my last. I expected to have reunited with my porcelain friend on a hourly basis by now, but I have been doing surprisingly well! I have been quite nauseous for the past few weeks, but have only had to run to throw up 4 times. I told myself that I just don't have time to deal with being sick...hopefully my body got the message. (Or at least part of it!)

On a wider note, I CANNOT button my pants. Seriously. This is absolutely crazy! I have a small protruding baby bump and my pants are nearly unwearable. I am only 6 weeks and 6 days (7 weeks tomorrow) and I didn't begin showing with Lucas until 12 weeks. It was as if a little bump decided to grace us with its presence this morning. As Levi was about to leave for work I caught him staring at me as I walked across the living room. He then commented on the noticeable belly, where I then replied..."it's too soon to be showing!!" His response? "I hope it's twins!"

Levi was pretty heart broken when he found out Lucas was a single baby and is really rooting for a duo this time around. I can't image carrying twins, let alone caring for two newborns with a toddler already. Oh. My. Goodness.

This was me at 12 weeks and 2 days with Lucas:

And this is me now at 6 weeks and 6 days:


Not much of a difference, huh? What's even scarier is that I started out at a lower pre-pregnancy weight this time around. When I said we were trying for two, I meant child number two...not two at once! Yikes...I'm nervous!