Momma's last Pregnancy

 photos by http://jacqpettie.com

As I sit here today sipping my cold coffee (that I reheated only twice so far) while my toddler is by me dancing on the couch to PJ Masks, I find myself reflecting on the past 9 months. I’m approaching the end of my pregnancy journey. Not just the end of this pregnancy journey, but the end entirely, this will be my last pregnancy. 

In 3 days my baby boy will be in my arms! It’s so surreal that the time is finally here. So I’m enjoying & cherishing every little kick, hiccup & cartwheel on my bladder that he does in there, feelings that will never be forgotten. 

I am also enjoying the last few days of being just a Toddler Mom. Things are about to get real up in here! I believe my son knows that there is a change coming. It's funny because he will pul up my shirt and lay his head on my belly. Blow Raspberries, or just pat it & lay his head there. I've never showed him how to do that. I hope that he makes the adjustment to big bro well! I'm a little nervous because he's surely a Momma's boy, & he's had all of my attention almost everyday of his life so far, but now it's time to share Momma!

My friends showered me with love & a maternity shoot! This has been a great last month of pregnancy. Wonderful memories were made. 

Overall if you’ve kept up with my previous blog posts, then you know this has been a very uncomfortable pregnancy for me. But even though it’s been a struggle, it has been a healthy pregnancy overall & in this world that’s a blessing!

I’m having to end this pregnancy with my second C-Section due to SPD. After getting my husbands feelings on the matter, I’ve decided I’m getting my tubes removed. Not tied, or clamped, there's no reversing this procedure! I am 150% sure that's what I want. I will not go through a third C-Section. Being able to bring two healthy boys into this life makes me over the moon happy. It’s not how I pictured my births going but it’s what has had to happen. With this being a planned C-section you would think it helps ease the mind, but for me... not at all. I’m very nervous, scared & anxious. I will be until they have him safely out of me, me all sewn up & the surgery over. Then the fear will be gone.


But it won’t be "easy peasy lemon squeezy" (thanks PJ Masks) from there because, then I face the road to recovery! All while tending to my almost 2 year old & the newborn. Plus it’s summer break & our two oldest kids will be with us. Oh, & did I mention we’re also moving? Yep there’s going to be a lot on our plates for the next few months! Hopefully by the end of Summer we're in a routine & settled!

Us women are some strong beings. I remember a lot of my recovery from the last time & I’m hoping my body remembers to & this time, just maybe, it’ll be a little easier on me. But I’m not banking on that. A cesarean is a MAJOR surgery, plus my tubes will be removed before I’m done as well. So two surgeries at once! My body is going to need the rest that I won’t be able to give it like last time. But all I can do is take it day by day, and pace myself & remember “Woman you were just cut open an a baby was taken out of you, sit down!”


As a Mom I feel like everything has to be done ASAP and everyone needs to be happy. I want to help with everything (especially this move). I know though, until I’m completely recovered somethings will just have to wait on me. I will have to shut down my overworking brain, & let my body have it’s time. The last thing I want to do is over do it & end up back in the hospital. No one has time for that!

May 18th, 8am me & hubby will be at the hospital, me getting prepped & ready to welcome to the world our new baby. I will be back to let you know how the C-section goes this time, and what it's like being a Momma of 2 under 2. Thank you for all of the support & love shown this pregnancy!

First vs. Second Pregnancy Symptoms

Today marks 31 weeks pregnant! In 9 short weeks, give or take a week or so... my baby boy will be out of my womb & in my arms. It is so surreal! Looking back there has been times I have felt like this pregnancy was at a stand still. The "I've been pregnant forever" moments. But now, I realize how fast it has actually flown by! 

The lingering "I'm over being pregnant" moments are probably stemming from the fact that this pregnancy has been SO different & SO much more uncomfortable than my first. You're always hearing each pregnancy is different, each woman is different & how right that is! You also might hear that different symptoms means a different gender. Lies. We thought for sure the way this pregnancy was treating me that we'd be having a girl. Nope, another little boy!

Here's the breakdown.

First Pregnancy:

• Acne- during first trimester, face only, then it cleared up.
• Pelvic Pressure- 3rd trimester, as baby drops and gets bigger it puts more strain on your pelvis.
• Round Ligament Pain- Be careful how you move or you'll feel a SHARP quick pain in your lower abdomen/pelvic region. Feels like something ripping.
• Nausea- It was easy, cured by lemon ginger tea or some peppermint. 
• Food Cravings- I could've ate tacos, or anything Mexican all day everyday. No cravings with second pregnancy.

Both:

• Cold- I walk around in a hoodie in the house while everyone else is fine.
• Leg Cramps- This was actually worse the first pregnancy. They were pretty much my whole pregnancy, and horrible. EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. With none of the remedies working for it. This time they've started in my third trimester, and thankfully not every night.
• Crazy Dreams- Pregnancy dreams are the most vivid, weird & wild dreams you'll ever have! They also seem so realistic! 
• Lack of Energy- 1st & 3rd trimesters. Obviously because growing another human is exhausting.
• Baby Hates Coffee- My beloved. In first pregnancy it made me sick. This one it tastes like I'm drinking metal. I can do a frappe, but that's horrible for you, especially when you're trying to not gain a ton of weight. But some days I got to have my caffeine.
• Lack of sleep- Most nights this involves singing the same part of a song over and over for 30 mins. I feel like we're deprived sleep during pregnancy to get us prepared for the newborn who's up every 2 hours to eat or get diaper changed.
• Shortness of Breath- I'm sure this happens to just about all of us, as baby gets bigger more pressure is put on your lungs, so you run out of breath easier. Sometimes just emptying out the dryer has me panting.

Second Pregnancy:

• Acne- Throughout whole pregnancy, not just face it's on my back & legs too, so sexy. 
• Nausea- Not just morning sickness would be all day sickness wouldn't want to eat. Not cured by tea or crackers or peppermint. Would come in waves, where I wish I would just puke to feel better! Thankfully, at least no vomiting. Lasted until half way through 2nd trimester.
• Sensitive, Dry Skin- I cannot stay moisturized, especially my hands! 
• Shedding Hair- This usually happens postpartum but my hair was falling out so badly first trimester! I was afraid I was going to have a huge bald spot.
• Weak Brittle Nails- There's an old wives tale that says when you're pregnant with a girl they steal your beauty, LIE! 
• Headaches- These were some killer headaches! One time it lasted for 4 days, which ended up the doctor making me do a 24hr urine test to make sure nothing was wrong. Thankfully they have eased up in my third trimester!
• Seeing Spots, or "Floaters"- This is HIGHLY annoying. Vision can change during pregnancy, and last time my sight actually improved in one eye! This time I cannot be without glasses or hello headache! I see floaters constantly!
• Pelvic Pain- This is probably my worst symptom this pregnancy. I'm convinced I have SPD Any long amounts of walking, and I'm in pain all day, which is a bummer because this is my favorite exercise. Some days it hurts so badly, just switching my foot from the gas to brake pedal is awful. Putting on pants I have to sit down. Turning over in bed is my cardio, I have to be careful as to how I move. Around Christmas I had a horrible pain in my pelvic area, I am sure it was in the bone, never felt something so painful, not even a contraction, I was so sure something was going to be wrong with baby after that. The next day I could barely walk. I was around 18 weeks then. So I've been suffering with this for quite some time. Doctors just say "it's normal" ... "you just had a baby, your body is going to remember what to do and do it quicker this time"... As if
• Silent Reflux- This is my newest thing. I do not feel the burning sensation of heart burn, this just feels like my food does not go past my chest. Yesterday it felt like it was all trying to crawl back up my throat. It was an all day thing. I was starving & scared to eat. There are a ton of natural remedies. I tried quite a few. I broke down and bought some Pepcid AC last night and it did help once it kicked in. It's supposed to be a 24 hr pill. Today I can feel a little of it, but not like yesterday I'm interested to see once 8pm hits, when the pill wears off if I'm right back in misery. I do not want to have to take this everyday for the rest of this pregnancy.
• Numb Hands- This doesn't come with any pain, they just fall asleep every night, multiple times. 
• Braxton Hicks- I did not have any contractions my first pregnancy until they induced me. My experience with Braxton Hicks contractions has so far only been my uterus tightening and releasing you can feel it happen, belly feels like a brick, but it doesn't hurt... yet.
• Less appetite- There are days I'm HANGRY! But overall, I've not had cravings, or been food crazy. Which makes me happy because I've been able to keep the weight gain under control this time. Last time it felt like I never got full.
• Cry Baby- I cannot handle ANYTHING emotional right now. There are parts in movies that make the tears stream while hubby gives me that "Are you really crying... again?" look. Thanks hormones!

As you can see my first pregnancy list was a lot shorter. I had it pretty easy! Being pregnant comes with a lot of symptoms, some are actually good, like bigger boobs, & thicker hair! I hope my lists didn't scare any of you away from the idea of getting pregnant! But helped you to understand some of the things your body MIGHT go through! It's truly amazing how God created us! We go through so many physical & hormonal changes while pregnant, women are amazing. You can't expect every day to be perfect & comfortable while you're housing a human. But the experience as a whole, it truly is so beautiful & totally worth it. Seems so cliche to say but, I would do it all again for my sons. 

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Free Amazon Baby Box!

I received my Amazon Baby Box today! If you're wondering if it's worth your time, yes it is. This one is even better than the one I got for my first pregnancy! To receive your baby box, it's super simple if you're already a Prime member, you need to do a registry with Amazon. They make a checklist to make it easy, and you have to add something from each category to your list to qualify for the Baby Box. If you don't have a prime membership, you can sign up they give you a free trail! Me & Hubby decided to keep it, it will come in handy in the long run for ordering diapers & wipes, and you get free 2 day shipping. The last thing that needs to be done is, a purchase by you, or a friend of at least $10 needs to be made from your registry! Once all the steps are followed, you can claim your box! It came pretty quickly as well! I am super in love with the Muslin Swaddle I was hoping there would be one in my box!!!

(Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means if you click and purchase the suggested product,  I would get a percentage of the sale.)

Follow the Baby Registry Ad to the right to start your registry with Amazon today! You do not wanna miss out on these freebies!

Anatomy Scan & Gender Reveal!

Yesterday we went to the doctor to do my anatomy ultrasound. We had been looking forward to this appointment for weeks! Mainly because you finally get to find out the sex of the baby, IF the baby cooperates for the Ultrasound Tech.

But more importantly, you get to see all the little parts of your growing baby & see if they're all working properly. This makes me a nervous wreck! Moms minds always think the worst. At least mine does! 

For a more in depth idea of what little parts I was referring too this list I found at Baby Med gives a perfect breakdown:

The following fetal parts are checked during the anatomy ultrasound:

• Face
• Brain (ventricles, choroid plexus, mid-brain, posterior fossa, cerebellum, cisterna magna, measurements of anterior and posterior horns of lateral ventricles)
• Skull (shape, integrity, BPD and HC measurements)
• Neck (nuchal fold thickness)
• Spine
• Heart (rate, rhythm, 4-chamber views, outflow tract)
• Thorax (shape, lungs, diaphragm)
• Abdomen (stomach, kidneys, liver, bladder, wall, umbilicus, cord, abdominal circumference AC)
• Limbs (femur, tibia, fibula, humerus, radius, ulna, hands, feet femur length FL)
• Genitals (gender, abnormality)
• Cervix (length and opening)

Our ultrasound tech was very nice & thorough. She described it as visually slicing through the baby, as if it were cake, to see all the different parts. It is so awesome you get to see the lobes of the brain, the chambers of the hearts, the lungs, diaphragm & everything listed above. It is so amazing to see on the screen. It's even more amazing & enjoyable when you have a tech that is nice & explains to you everything you're seeing. I was definitely moved to tears!

That's a full body shot, all curled up 😍

So once everything is done & the Tech had all the info she needed, she obliged (because they don't have to... they're there to find what's in that list above, not obligated to figure out the sex) to try to get a shot of the genitals for us. With Jacen he was so stubborn, he wouldn't spread 'em at all for the first ultrasound, so we had to go back again to see. With this baby it had it's little legs curled up too, but the Tech played around with my belly some and had me lay on my side, and we got to see just what we needed...

There's no denying what that is!!! I am officially a Boy Mom x2! Hubby just knew that this was a little girl since my pregnancy has been so different. Last pregnancy I knew without a doubt I was having a boy, this time I was clueless. We were hoping for a little princess, especially daddy, and big sis, she actually cried, poor thing is outnumbered. But we got us another Prince! At he end of the day we're just so thankful he's healthy and growing right the way he's supposed to! Couldn't be anymore thankful!

Now... to figure out what to name the Lil' Peanut!

One thing about having another baby of the same gender so close together is we won't need much for this baby, just essentials. Big Bro has plenty to share! They're bond is gonna be unbreakable growing up together! At first I was so nervous! "How am I gonna do this, two kids this close in age?!?!"... "Jacen is gonna be so jealous! He's too young to understand!"... But now I'm excited and ready for the challenge (remind me I said that when I'm ready to pull my hair our from exhaustion). I cannot wait to meet this little guy & see him and his brother playing & exploring together. They're gonna be amazing together! My Boys!

  

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Pregnancy Weight Gain (Updated 5/9/18)

My battle since I was a child was my weight. I've always been overweight, nothing new there. The battle to maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy is a whole new ball game. Especially when you're overweight already.

My first pregnancy I started at 208 lbs. Found out I was pregnant Nov 2015 By Jan, 2016 I weighed the below:

So that was 10 months in, with a 6 lb weight gain, not bad. But by May I was 247 lbs:

I finally delivered Aug. 9, 2016 So I surely broke the 250 lb mark. 45 lb weight gain. No thanks! Not this time!!!

So I'm sticking to a Low-Carb diet. As much as humanly possible, those sugar cravings are a killer sometimes, trying to fill them with fruit. Going to the gym & do at-home workouts as much as my body will allow. Here's my progress So far:

I was very happy when I got on the scale this morning only a 1 lb weight gain in 3 weeks!! I was expecting more because I've been slacking. But Last week I regained focus on my nutrition even though I didn't make it to gym, I made sure I ate right. And it paid off!

Update: 1/11/18

I'm up to 215 lbs. which means a total weight gain of 10 lbs. so far! Being that I'm 21 weeks as of today, my appetite has increased, and my energy has decreased the past few days I am happy with this, 4 lbs. in 4 weeks. I am still trying my hardest to stick to low-carb & my goal this week has been to up my water intake. So far so good. Now if my 1st trimester sleepiness would go away, I could get some movement going.

Update 2/3/18

I'm up to 216 lbs. at 24 weeks, total weight gain of 11 lbs. & I'm VERY glad with that. It's funny I took this picture on the 2nd, earlier that week I weighed and I was 220 lbs. purely bloated from carbs. Me & the Beautiful Carbs do not get along, although I love them so!! But after a few days of cutting carbs & drinking enough water that bloat was gone! I haven't been able to workout as good as I have wanted to due to horrible headaches & pelvic pain. But I'm getting 2 or 3 good workouts in a week, still trying to listen to my body. I started going to get pool gym, and that does feel quite wonderful!

Update: 3/1/18

Let the weight gain begin! Since the last post I've gained 5 lbs! My belly has got a lot bigger here lately, so hopefully it's all going to little man! I am fine with this! This means a total weight gain of 16 lbs this whole pregnancy! 3 months left to go! I cannot believe I am in my third trimester now. It's going to fly by! This is when you gain the most of your weight, because the baby is putting on getting bigger, fatter, longer, stronger! As long as he's growing healthy I'm a happy Momma! I have had some days where I've been so hungry it feels like I could eat everything in the kitchen! I am battling this by stuffing my face with fruits and fresh veggies with hummus. It has helped so much keeping healthy quick snacks around the house. Although the kids Cap'n Crunch is really calling my name sometimes, but I haven't gave in to that sugary mess! I am still doing whatever workouts my pelvis & hips are allowing. Which isn't much these days. That's why nutrition is so important! Remember to subscribe so you can get an alert, I'll be back to update with the next 4 week weight gain in April!

3/29/18

I didn't even realize 4 more weeks had passed! That really flew by! So today I hit 32 weeks pregnant, and I've gained another 5 lbs. Not surprised, third trimester is when baby boy packs on the weight. Hopefully it's all gonna be leaving when he does! But I'll be honest it's been harder to be stayed focused on healthy eating here lately. I have been craving sweets. Ice Cream is my bestie. I had about 2 weeks of bad eating, and I snapped back to reality this week. I've done really well since Monday. I post my calorie intake & macros on my Instagram story every night. Today I'm struggling with indigestion so eating light & eat is not a problem at all. Went grocery shopping today and loaded up on fruits & veggies. I hope the next weigh in at 36 weeks won't be another 5lbs. But if it is, he'll be worth it. Total weight gain thus far: 21 lbs. much better than this time last pregnancy.

4/19/18

I decided to update today because on 5/18/18 I'll be delivering via C-section unless he decides to pop out early! I hit 35 weeks today! I was 226 lbs. last weigh-in, up to 230 lbs. this morning. I won't make excuses I'm not eating like a crazy lady, but it's not always the healthiest choices. But it's not an everyday binge fest. I've done better than the last weigh-in with food, I've had a lot more salads, and fruits, with the side of pizza and nachos here & there!!! 4 lbs. isn't too bad, I'm glad it's not more! Pregnancy cravings are a struggle! So I've officially met my 25 pound weight gain goal for this pregnancy. I don't want to gain a pound past that, but that's not realistic since he's packing on fat still. What I can do is take the food day by day & be as healthy as possible with it. I have been active, walking a couple times a week & doing some light weight workouts. I really feel like doing workouts when my body allows it, has helped me tremendously this pregnancy! Also, chasing the toddler really helps the step count for the day! I will Update for the last time at 38 weeks, then I'll be getting ready to deliver my boy! I've had a few folks commenting on how I'm "all belly," carrying really well & didn't gain much. Makes me feel good because that was the goal I was working towards!

This is the final update for this part of my pregnancy journey. Because next Friday, my son will be in my arms! As you can see this from April 9th until today I've gained the most at once that I have my whole pregnancy! My appetite has been insane! So glad it wasn't like this the entire pregnancy! There are some nights I eat dinner, and an hour later my stomach is growling, hard & loud like I haven't ate all day! The third trimester is also when the baby packs on the last of his fat. So hopefully, most of these 6 lbs. gained some of that went to him! I started this pregnancy around 206 lbs. (you can see in the beginning of post). I'm ending at 236 lbs. which means a total weight gain this pregnancy of 30 lbs. So I'm 5 lbs. over my 25 lb. goal. I can live with that! I'm actually quite proud of myself I stayed pretty consistent this entire pregnancy, and even though there were some splurges I would bounce back to healthier eating. I will be back Post-partum with a new blog to share with y'all my Baby Weight-loss journey. The picture below is from my Maternity photos with my first son, and my new ones from last week. The differences I see make me very happy! I did it! I got through a pregnancy without eating everything insight and losing my nutritional wits! 

Please check back because I will be updating this blog post with my progress every few weeks!

You can also follow my journey on Instagram with daily updates of both my little guys!

My First Pregnancy!

It all started with a Cruise. What a great time we had. Obviously!!

        We had been planning for a baby, I said it'd be so awesome if it happened on our vacation. Our cruise was Oct 10-14th and Looky looky, Nov. 18, 2015 was the day that stick showed a + and our life was about to get even more interesting!!

I had an overall easy pregnancy. No major issues. Not a lot of discomfort. I carried him for 41 weeks & 3 days, he was comfy in that womb and did not want to come out!!

 On Aug. 8th 2016 I had been scheduled to go in for a NST for the baby, and an ultrasound. The NST was fine. The hospital sent me to a different office for the Ultrasound. Mr. Jacen didn’t want to cooperate for the ultrasound. He was asleep and she needed him to wake up so she could see his lungs move as he breathed. I drank coffee, sat there a while, still he wouldn’t budge. I wasn’t worried because he has been moving fine all morning, he was even moving in the waiting room. I knew he was stubborn like his Momma, and it seemed throughout my whole pregnancy he wouldn't move when being bothered. If his daddy touched my belly, or even if I was trying to record his movement, it's like he just knew something was up and he'd be still.

The ultrasound tech had to call my midwife to tell her she wasn’t able to get the reading on his lungs, and that she tried several times. Well, back to the hospital I was sent, and we were admitted. We were not expecting that. We were all in our beach clothes (I have two "bonus" kids as well 10 year old girl & 6 year old boy) Our car was loaded with beach gear we were expecting a nice sandy day, not to be having a baby. Hubby adrenaline started rushing, he didn't even have a hospital bag packed, yes Mr. Procrastinator. So there we stood with excitement and fear rushing through our veins. This was definitely not part of my amazing Birth Plan. My midwife was there when we were admitted, I loved her we worked with her through my whole pregnancy. She had me all setup & comfy telling me the first steps we were going to try to get me to go into labor, because once again, he was super comfy and not coming out. I was only 3 CM dilated at this time. 

So first thing they did was start me on Cervadil first to see if that would kick start labor. Cervadil was actually inserted twice, why Pitocin wasn’t started first I’m not sure. But after the second Cervadil was inserted around 10pm that night, I was at 4cm dilated, still not much progress. 

 By 4 a.m. I finally learned what a contraction felt like!! (Like I said I had an easy pregnancy, never experienced a contraction until that moment). And they were ALL UP IN MY BACK!

5 a.m. the Nurse came to remove the cervadil I was at 5cm, making progress but not enough for action. August 9th was the longest day of my life. 

 9 a.m. I was completely over the contractions!! The nurses seemed to aske every time they entered the room if I wanted an epidural. Starts to sound really good when that pain hits. So, bring it on... The anesthesiologist stuck me 3 times with that monster of a needle... 3 TIMES!!!! But I surely laid there afterwards oblivious to all the other contractions, and even the fact that I was peeing in a bag. I'm perfectly ok with that decision!  

A lot of women out there have their own opinions on Epidurals. We have different opinions on ever aspect of motherhood. More power to all the mommy’s who can handle that pain, and go all natural. You might think you can as well, it was in my Birth Plan not to get one. But when you're in that moment, in that pain your mind might change like mine. If it doesn't that's great as well! We all have the same result, we gave birth!!! So don't let anyone's opinion belittle the awesomeness your body just accomplished!!

 I sure am glad I got the epidural when I did. Because to make a long story short I ended up having to have an emergency C-Section at 5p.m. I was scared to death!! That was the last thing I ever wanted. I cried, hard. Told my husband if I die that I love him and to take care of the baby, and then I cried some more. All the while hubby telling me it’ll all be ok. 

The anesthesiologist came through to pump me with more stuff. I got wheeled into the SUPER BRIGHT & SUPER COLD Operating room. The medicine they pumped me with had my arms and shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't keep them still no matter how hard I tried.

Next thing I knew, by 6:27 p.m. my beautiful baby boy was handed to me. He was healthy and gorgeous. And in that moment that is all that mattered in the world. He was perfect.

If you have any questions about how it all went down, feel free to ask in the comments!!