Twenty Two Plus Weeks

At my midwife appointment yesterday, I was twenty two weeks (plus four days) but my uterus was measuring [at least] twenty-four weeks!

According to Chris, this doesn't mean my baby is unduly large or anything like that. I think things just stretch out a lot faster the second time around. I hope so. I'm scared of delivering a giant baby.

Last I checked, I was up nine pounds. I think this photo makes me look a little smaller than I feel (angling the camera down away from the overhead light will do that).

I mostly feel pretty good, but I've slowed down climbing stairs. And I am getting stomach aches pretty frequently, especially after dinner. Nothing to do but climb into bed... sometimes by 8 pm.

I'm excited that in just over a week, the baby will be officially (if minimally) viable. Of course I don't want her born any time soon but it's crazy to think that it's even possible. That a bunch of cells thrown into my body could turn out a real living person. Wild.

More Photos

Holiday card contender number one. 0396

Holiday card contender number two -- 0407. I like that it's more direct of her face, though I love the light on her hair in the first one.
(What would it look like with less tree showing?)

Love the composition. 0275

0348 Another option for the FB reveal. (See below for the alternative -- PLEASE someone tell me how I can freely move photos around on Blogger!)

Love: how secure she is being loved.

Don't love: my back fat. Could we crop this? This would be a private photo, not for a card.

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LOVE how joyous and free she looks.
Don't like how I like like I'm straining to hold onto her.
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Versus the original favorite for FB reveal, 0496.

More Photo Comparisons -- Tea Party (it helps to see them laid out together). For photos at home.

0060. I love how we look so absorbed in each other.  

0067? I love how we are looking at each other. So much love and delight.

This (069)? It's starting to grow on me. A lot.

Or this? (055)

Twenty One Weeks Belly Shot

Feels like I'm getting bigger every day!

And some good news: my Materniti21 was negative for Trisomies 13, 18, and 21! 

Cookies

Guess which cookie Calliope made?

Only a tiny little spoon works for mixing an enormous bowl of flour, salt, and baking soda.

Obviously.

Comments From Calliope

"Mommy, why do dogs pee and poop on the street?"

"Well, have you ever seen a doggy use a potty? They don't know how to use the potty so they have to go pee and poop outside."

"Oh! Dogs don't have belly buttons because they don't know how to use the potty yet!"

(Made perfect sense to her, anyway, if not to me.)

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Lying on the couch together and looking at her small legs next to my longer ones.

"Mommy, someday I'm going to have big feet like you."

"Yes, that's true."

"And I'll have hair on my tushy!"

"Yes, that's true, too."

"And I'll have a really big belly button like you!"

(Well, my sweets, only if you are unlucky enough to end up with an umbilical hernia like me, as a result of pregnancies with you and your sister.)

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"Calliope, sometimes pregnant women -- that is, women with babies in their bellies -- get tummy aches and have to take tummy medicine (aka the tropical flavored Tums I take that Calliope is enamored with).

At 6:15 the next morning, a Saturday, of course, 

"Mommy, the baby in my belly needs medicine!"

Sigh. 

Fall Photos, Age Three

A few of my favorites from our recent photo shoot. I'm so glad we did it in the park -- Calliope had a blast with our tea party and with running around. I love our photographer! (IM me if you are in NYC and looking for an affordable photographer who is a sweetheart to boot. She does gorgeous maternity shots, too, for late in pregnancy.)

Please vote on your favorites... for both a holiday card, for my wall (framed), and for my [hopefully tasteful] FB reveal of my pregnancy.

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0055

0396

0496 

0549

0607

Twenty One Week Ultrasound

Blueberry is looking good and healthy at twenty one weeks. Look at her arm behind her head in repose! I guess it's pretty relaxing in there.

Unfortunately, I've had a little tummy bug the last couple of days and all that pressing on my stomach made me get very dizzy.

Once I said I wasn't feeling well and rushed off to the bathroom, the ?student sonographer was banished and the doctor himself came in to finish. He had a much gentler touch and finished quickly, thank goodness. He said he got all the necessary views of the heart and everything looks good.

He said he wasn't concerned about the fact that my previous results showed a slightly elevated risk of Down Syndrome (based on lab results only, not the ultrasound), given that the ultrasound looked so normal. I shouldn't really need to worry, since I had PGD testing on my embryo before it was transferred, but I guess there's a risk of a mosaic (spontaneous mutation) Down Syndrome. Just in case, I got blood work done last week for Materniti.21, but I'm not losing sleep as I wait for the results.

Hard to believe I'm more than halfway done. I visited the midwife yesterday, due to not feeling well, and the the tummy bug was making my belly measure 25 weeks instead of 21! I assume it will go back to normal any time now.

20w5d

20w5d

Just a cute girl I met on the street

I was so very anxiously awaiting this twenty week, halfway point moment, that it's hard to believe it slipped away so quickly, without even a photo until five days later.

I'm feeling more movement now, like a snake slithering around in my gut. It's very odd (but cool).

I'd gained seven pounds as of last Friday but I feel like I'm getting bigger by the day now. Time to [try to] cut back on my nightly intake of sugar!

Nineteen Weeks and Anatomy Scan

19w3d, front view (at work)

19w3d, side view

Slightly scary looking but more baby-like, too. 

Check out those skinny legs and giant feet hovering above her chest!

Nineteen weeks (plus three days) with small guest star, drinking her milk

All went well at the anatomy scan last week. The sex was confirmed -- definitely a girl. Only the tech couldn't get all the heart images she needed so I have to go back in two weeks to try again.

My sister came for my prenatal visit on Thursday afternoon and my ultrasound on Friday morning. It was so nice to have her company. We spend a long time with the midwife -- who I am totally loving. She just seems so unhurried and caring and kind. My sister really liked her too, a nice change from the previous midwife, who she never liked.

I was looking forward to the anatomy scan but honestly, it was sort of boring after the first few seconds of thrilled relief that the growing belly actually still housed a growing human who might someday, hopefully, become a baby. Still, I'm very glad to have another milestone checked off. I've been looking forward to reaching twenty weeks for quite a while now, so Friday will be another happy milestone.

I'm suddenly feeling much more pronounced kicks and movement, which is really fun and much more reassuring than those very faint flutters. Now I'm much more sure it's not just my imagination.

My fatigue suddenly seems a bit better the last few days, which is also a relief. My friend Talia foisted my infant car seat back onto me so now that's strapped into the backseat of my car -- my first bit of baby gear for the second child. And being kept there mainly so it doesn't take over precious closet space in my apartment.

I was offered a seat on the subway for the first time last week, and couldn't stop smiling. And several people have asked in the last week if I'm pregnant. So I guess I'm showing... though most people still don't seem to notice.

I'm up six pounds, which is, I think, twice my weight gain at nineteen weeks in my first pregnancy, but still seems reasonable, and anyway, this time around I've got a healthier view of my body. Or at least, I care less. Whether that is healthier or not is debatable. The midwife said my uterus is just the right size -- at my belly button, and the size of a cantaloupe, I believe, so that's great. I can deal with my lumpy thighs next year... or not. Luckily neither Calliope nor Blueberry will care, as long as I am happy. And even more luckily, motherhood has taught me a lot about the value of self acceptance.

The last photo is of me at 18 plus weeks pregnant with Calliope. What a difference! Everything looks so much more tucked in and tidy the first time around, despite the fact that I am actually doing a little core work this time around and only did elliptical last time. The human body is quite a miracle, even when it looks a bit untidy.