Our Pregnancy Journey - Month 3
MONTH 3:
Baby is still growing like crazy. pecan > kumquat > brussel sprout > apricot
WEEKLY RECAPS:
Starting off month 3, we were still dealing with the SCH (subchorionic hematoma) but we were remaining cautiously hopeful that our follow-up appointment will bring good news...
WEEK 9:
Baby is the size of a pecan.
My thoughtful and funny brother sent us our first present for baby... He always knows how to make me laugh, and a good laugh is just the medicine I needed! Hubs had to give the gift a test spin and what better of a trial run than on our fur baby! I think she approves!
Grams also surprised us by sending us flowers! My almost 94 year old grandma still amazes me with her sense of humor and her daily texts!
I am so grateful for such caring friends and family. Thank you all who have reached out to brighten my day. Your sweet gestures and prayers for baby are so appreciated, and you all mean the world to me!
Finally, what seemed like a decade (but in actuality was only about 3 weeks later), we had our follow-up ultrasound appointment. Going into the office, my anxiety reached an all-new level. I realized once again, I am not in control. Taking a big breath, my husband and I opened the door to the unknown and relinquished control to the big man upstairs. We had been praying throughout the day and every night for the hematoma to be gone by the time of our appointment, baby would be healthy, and bed rest would be a thing of the past. I knew God could do this, but didn't know if it was in His will.
The song, "Even If", by Mercy Me was a Godsend during this time. A friend passed along this version of the song awhile back, and listening and just thinking about this song with his testimony brings me to tears almost every time I listen to it. Thinking about the meaning and how it can apply to our lives and circumstances is not only challenging and humbling, but also freeing, as it is also a reminder that this life on earth is temporary and what's to come is eternal. It's worth checking out if you've never heard this version with his testimony.
Checking into the office, the first step was filling out even more paperwork (which might I add the "screening for depression" test was conveniently included in this set...). The questions asked how you felt during the last 2 weeks... Well since the last 2 weeks I was basically doing bedrest with immense sleeping issues, nausea, and feeling not so great about life... what perfect timing to fill this out!
If you've never been lucky enough to fill out one of these forms, let me paint you a picture...
Please answer the following:
In the last two weeks, I have had trouble falling or staying asleep. (check.)
In the last two weeks, I have felt down, sad, or depressed. (check.)
In the last two weeks, I have had decreased appetite. (check.)
In the last two weeks, I have had little motivation to do things I once enjoyed (check.)
In the last two weeks, I have had decreased energy.... (check.)
Yes, of course my screening would be something of concern... Clearly I'm a basket case at this point in the game. 2 weeks of energizer bunny on bed rest... Commit me now. Next stop pharmacy... give me the candy, make it all go away!! (kidding)
Next was the weigh in... let's just say that they typically tell you it's normal to gain 1-5 lbs in the first trimester... Needless to say, I exceeded expectations on that one... more than doubling that mark with flying colors... :) I'd like to blame it on the eating every 2 hours to avoid throwing up (regardless of 0 appetite) and the lovely bed rest keeping me from burning any calories... Strike 2.
Geez, this appointment was not starting off on the best foot. Two strikes already and next up was the ultrasound. After saying one more prayer, or many, it was time for the test of truth. My eyes immediately fixated on the screen to look for that pesky hematoma. Much to our grateful surprise, it seemed to be gone! The lady confirmed that it appeared to be reabsorbed. I think I made her repeat that statement at least 3x, just to make sure I was hearing her correctly. Praise the Lord! Best news of the month! So thankful for His grace and all of the many people that were prayer warriors for us.
Here is our updated sonogram with our baby penguin...crazy enough, the top one actually even looks like a penguin... beak and all! According to this sonogram, we are either having a penguin (top pic), blue jay (middle pic), or baby monkey (bottom pic)... Looks like we are all over the map with this one, and I'm sure we will have our hands full!
The doctor also confirmed that I could be off of bed rest and I was given the green light to exercise... albeit no marathons anytime soon, but that news was music to my ears! We went on our first walk that afternoon, and I'm pretty sure I cried out of happiness (and crazy hormones) to be able to get fresh air and thank God for his answered prayers!
CRAVINGS:
Lucky Charms has still been top on the list along with the occasional snack size bag of Kit Kats... I really need to start watching my sugar intake or I might give birth to a giant chocolate covered marshmallow...
WEEK 10:
Baby is the size of a kumquat.
Still exhausted and still nauseous but feeling so grateful that I'm not spending all my time on the sofa or bed! We even went on a couple of walks, and it felt beyond great to get some fresh air and take a little stroll in the sunshine. To top it off, the temps were even in the 70's in February... The South has some perks after all... ;)
Well it's almost February, and our house is still decorated for Christmas... with exhaustion and nausea in full force, the possibility of leaving it up year-round is looking better and better... Maybe I'll change my perspective that I'm actually early (albeit very early) for Christmas for next year... I'll reevaluate next week...
Surprisingly enough and much to my parents' delight, my old tendencies of being a night owl has morphed into another form... My new favorite mug sums it up quite well...
The exhaustion of 1st trimester and growing a human has done some major changes on my body. Since this pregnancy has morphed my previous night owl self into a permanently exhausted pigeon, there's hope that by the end of this, I may just transform into an early bird... Not likely I know, but I'll keep the optimism for now. #fullcircle
I also discovered this adorable letter board and found this quote quite appropriate for the current situation...
I'm learning to embrace new lows and breaking social norms. Sweat pants, fuzzy socks, 0 makeup, and hubs' huge velour (or whatever it is) robe are my new favs. Thank God for working from home. I finally had enough energy to leave the house and tackle two of our errands, so hubs and I went out in our best sweat pants and stocking caps. After our errands, for the first time in 4 weeks, I actually had a sliver of an appetite! We opted to not waste this opportunity to pack in some good nutrients and headed to our nearest Firebirds. #dressedtoimpress I'm pretty sure the servers thought twice about seating us, but thankfully they had some grace on us. Hubs and I've learned to appreciate date nights in whatever shape, style, and form they come in.
The emotions (combined with the sleep deprivation) also have a mind of their own and almost everything makes me tear up. While at Firebirds, we overheard the manager come over to a table near us and comped their entire meal as their server told him that they just lost someone in their family. How sweet and compassionate. The world still has good people in it. #moretears
CRAVINGS:
Foods I can currently stomach: Firebirds prime rib, BLT salad, and their stuffed baked potato. Hubs also made me breakfast which turned into one unique preggo creation... Peanut butter toast with honey, bananas, and bacon... #dontknockituntilyoutryit
WEEK 11:
Baby is the size of a brussel sprout. Baby is growing hair follicles, fingernails, and according to science, is now officially called a fetus!
Let's just say that I have a whole new appreciation and respect for pregnant moms now. I had NO CLUE what it was like being pregnant and not the slightest idea of how hard it actually was (and can only imagine the increased challenges in the 3rd trimester)! With the lack of sleep, the all-day sickness, the extreme fatigue and all-day exhaustion, the forcing food down your throat while trying not to gag, the guzzling of water, the constant pee breaks, the emotional roller coaster, the raging hormones, trying to make healthy decisions on a daily basis, getting in an exercise here and there if you're lucky, all while trying to take care of other little ones running around the house, not only have I been enlightened, but my respect and admiration for you all has reached new levels. Many, many kudos to you! I'm even more thankful that at this point in the game, I just have a little fluffy fur baby to take care of during these stages...
I've always been great at taking care of other people, but never excelled at making time to take care of myself. So far I've learned that pregnancy is a job on its own to grow a baby as well as trying to get in the daily requirements of nutrients and water, especially when the thought of food and another glass of water is enough to set your stomach over the edge. On those particularly rough days (every day as of late), I try to keep our baby penguin in mind as I remind myself that I am now growing a tiny human and can no longer be selfish but instead need to be selfless and force myself to eat to feed our baby, even when it's the last thing I want to do. Oh the days of having an appetite... I never thought in a million years that I'd lose my love for food or desire to have a normal appetite again. I'm sure it will come back sooner than later.
CRAVINGS:
Foods I can currently stomach: Blintzes and fresh mozzarella cheese. Apparently baby loves dairy, but my body does not as the breakouts are in full force at the moment...
WEEK 12:
Baby is the size of an apricot.
After consulting with a good friend who just had a baby in December, she gave me all the ins and outs of the delivery process... probably more than I needed to hear. I'm always up for enlightenment and 0 surprises, so pure candidness and no filter is what I prefer. I'll just shove the gory details out of my mind for the next few months though...
OVERALL FEELS:
I'm starting to regain a little energy this week. It seems I have 1-2 days of energy spurts (with 3-5 hours of semi-energy), followed by 1-2 days of extreme exhaustion again. I'll take what I can get! The nausea is getting better, but still a strong presence. I've been learning to manage it the best I can with eating every 2 hours, drinking lots of water, ginger tea, Unisom, and B6.
The sleeping issues and constant potty break interruptions are still in full-force and have become my new normal.
I still typically wake up 5-9x per night (usually every 45-90 min). I think part of the problem is that I'm a light sleeper, and I still end up sleeping on my stomach which wakes me up constantly. I've had a couple of nights where I only woke up 3-4x and that was a rare and amazing night (the white whale of all sleeps)! It is a night and day difference how much better I feel during the day when I wake up less though. I seriously felt like a new person on those rare sleep days! I'll never take for granted the waking up 1-2x per night that I "hope" to achieve again some day once the baby is past the feeding stages... A girl can dream...
CRAVINGS:
I had another rare moment of cravings/having an appetite... Unfortunately for hubs, this meant an extra 30 minutes of driving... Let's just say that after passing 20 restaurants and nothing sounding good, we drove 15 minutes home, and right around the time we were entering our neighborhood, it hit me... Pad Thai and Tom Kha soup!! And of course from our favorite restaurant which was at least another 15 minutes away... (and towards the same general area we were originally in...) Bless hubs' heart, but he turned the car around without a peep, and we placed an order for pick up. Not only was baby happy, but mom was EXTREMELY happy!!
ADVICE FOR DADS-TO-BE:
I can't stress enough how important the virtue of patience, unconditional love, attempts at understanding, and more patience is during pregnancy... Learn to embrace it now... it is just practice for what's to come with kiddos... :)
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