Pregnancy update!

Our announcement!

We are 19 weeks today and I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has flown!

Shortly after Eb started solids my fertility began to return, albeit sporadically. We found out in November we were expecting again and right after Christmas we had our first ultrasound to determine the due date. We were surprised to discover that we were two weeks further along than we thought (12 weeks instead of 10). It was amazing to see first hand how much development happens in those two weeks! Eb's first ultrasound was right at ten weeks and he really resembled a gummy bear. Just two weeks further along this little one looked just like a miniature baby! Fully developed arms and legs, which were really moving around, and a distinct profile. I can't express how wonderful it was to hear that fast little heart beat!

Surprise!

It was difficult to decide where to deliver this baby. We didn't have much faith in King's Daughters, the closest hospital to us, and Clark Memorial, which has a wonderful reputation and great midwives, is an hour and a half away. To be honest, I wasn't excited about being in a hospital again anyway. I love my son and am thrilled he arrived safely, but memories of his birth still throw me into an emotional mess of fear and frustration - most of it centered on the hospital setting. Because of this we were seriously considering a home birth, especially after discovering a midwife close by who practiced home births and had experience with VBAC's. After further research on the risks associated with VBAC's though, we decided Clark would be our safest option.

12 weeks and 2 days!

It has been a lesson in maneuverability working with Samaritan Ministries instead of insurance. But the folks at both Clark and Samaritan have been super helpful and flexible. While it requires a little more financial planning, we have yet to regret our move to Samaritan.

We have our ultrasound this Friday to find out the gender of our newest little one and I can't wait!!! I'm so excited to give this little one a name and to see if we need to delve into Eb's old baby clothes or start on a girl wardrobe! Chris is still pretty convinced that it is a boy, I'm still on the fence since we didn't actually get pregnant when we thought. I'm also looking forward to finding out if we get to use our girl name (Evelyn Hope) or if we need to work on another boy name (we have lots of names we like, we just have't found 'the one' we want to use yet).

I have yet to really gain any weight with this pregnancy. This has been strange to me because I started gaining steadily with Eb early on. The midwife assures me that this is mostly a result of still nursing and chasing a toddler (Eeek! Eb is a toddler!). As long as I'm getting enough protein (60 grams instead of 40 since I'm nursing) and trying to eat a balanced diet the baby will get everything it needs. Still a strange sensation to be almost half way through, with an expanding middle, but not the associated weight.

19 weeks!

I finally started to feel a few wiggles and bumps last week! It took a few days to be sure that's what I was feeling because they were so sporadic and light (another reason I'm not sure this is a boy), but I'm sure that's what they are now. While they have remained light and rather sporadic (more like popping or bumps versus Eb's drum rolls and extended acrobatics at this stage), I do notice them at least once a day (mostly at bedtime, or after I have ice cream!).

I can't wait to update soon about whether this little Lima Bean is a boy it girl!