Weeks 18 & 19 - No signs of pre-eclampsia yet!

I can't believe I will be 20 weeks this weekend!! Where is the time going?! This little dude is already half way baked 🥳 I am so glad things are going so well, it is SUCH a relief. I spoke with the birthing center today and all of my bloodwork and the 24 hour urine test came back perfect. No signs of pre-eclampsia yet, hallelujah! We discovered I had it with the twins at 24 weeks, when I landed in the hospital for early labor, but we didn't know when it had started. So, to hear that my tests came back great was really awesome. We will repeat this test in about 2 months at 28 weeks. This time was just to get a baseline on the protein in my urine, so that we had something to compare with later. We don't want the protein to be over 300, if any is detected at all. I believe it was 370 something with the twins? So, fingers crossed that we get great results in September also! 

I have been feeling pretty good lately, considering I'm growing a tiny little man! My lower back pain has increased, so I've started pregnancy yoga. And my tailbone feels like it has snapped in half 😭 I have to sit on only soft and squishy things or else it is really painful. I need to see a chiropractor soon, but I'm hoping the yoga will also help. My gums have also started bleeding a lot when flossing and brushing, totally normal during pregnancy though. Just don't remember it doing it this much with the twins. I still can't believe I have 50% more blood volume, so crazy! I am still struggling with this dang yeast rash all over my body. I still get extreeeemely itchy when my rash flares up, but I discovered that my probiotic IS making it worse. So I quit taking it since the midwife said to if I noticed it worsening when starting my new one. Hoping that'll help it lessen atleast. I have been eating lots of avocados, orange juice, hashbrowns, melons (I cannot get enough watermelon - I ate 2 personal sized ones in a single day, lol!), and tamales. My belly is getting bigger! It was so funny, I woke up the other day and just felt bigger. I looked in the mirror after I got dressed and was like, woah! I swear I grew over night. I hope this little guy is a rolly chunk when he gets here! Well, maybe not too awfully chunky since I'll not be doing an epidural this time 🤣

Right now, baby boy is the size of a banana! He is approx 8+ inches long from head to bum and weighs just over half a pound! He is currently sprouting hair on his head, can suck his thumb, has meconuim forming in bowels (makes up his first poo after birth), and he can now hear me clearly, as well as others. He is a fully formed little guy now! He just needs to pack on the fat and grow in size, and his systems need to mature until he arrives. The twins are so funny! Claire still asks me daily how the baby is doing in there, if he's awake or asleep, if he slept good or not, and if he's full or hungry. It cracks them both up that "he pees in your tummy!". They were quite relieved that he doesn't poop in my tummy, ha ha. They're both really bummed that they can't feel him move and kick when I do, but they still put their little hands on my belly anyways in hopes of "maybe I will feel him this time?!" 🤣 One day they will and I can't wait to see their reactions! Claire said the cutest thing the other day...I was tucking her into bed and she said, "Mommy, is the baby ok in there, with no other people?" I replied that he was totally fine and snug, and she said, "Oh good!! My baby brother is so good and is so brave growing in there!" She has expressed multiple times that she is concerned that he's in there all alone, ha ha. I am looking forward to my next ultrasound (not a fan of them bc they really haven't proved to be super safe, so I am trying to limit them this time around since I had a million trillion of them with the twins), as we couldn't see his heart super great because of his positioning last time. So, I hope all looks well again on that in a couple of weeks! Maybe then I can fully relax ha ha, but we'll see (e had to go back for a follow up on the anatomy scan with the twins too because they couldn't see Claire's heart well enough because of her positioning). So, I hope this isn't bad luck, lol. Fingers crossed that my cervix still looks good too. 

We haven't done anything too exciting lately because of my dang rash, and Claire's viral rash (poor baby was sick with a viral rash for about 4 weeks - luckily no one else got it!), but we have started sorting through baby stuff! We have sooo many cute clothes that I forgot about from the twins. We are totally set on clothes lol, got the crib out, changing table, found all the baby blankets, my fav baby pods, play mat, and other fun stuff. Just need a few things like a new car seat (others are "expired" - but I already ordered a new one, woo!), new baby monitor, a new baby bath I want, etc. We are in the process of organizing the 4th bedroom in the house. It sadly looks like a bomb went off in it right now, ha ha. We are moving all my holiday decor into the garage from the closet, my candle making supplies into the closet, and we will have that bedroom be the baby room/home school room. My momma bought me some supet cute baby room decor! I wanted to do a woodlands theme this time around. I still have all the pooh bear stuff from the twins, but I feel like this little guy just looks/seems like a little woodlands man. Blake thinks I'm crazy but oh well, ha ha. The fox lamp is absolutely adorable though, and the bedding is to die for! I can't wait to see it all put together in the next of couple weeks. Our latest silly/fun happenings at home are: Cam made everyone wear "cup shoes" the other day lol, the twins are amazed by/scared of our crazy Arizona monsoon season we've been having the last couple of weeks, they're loving the old Nintendo 64 from Blake's parents, and their new kindergarten books and supplies arrived from The Good and The Beautiful last week! 🥳 I absolutely love this home school program and we are all very excited to start next month! Can't believe my babies are in kindergarten!! 

17 weeks - Anatomy Scan!

So, today went as good as I hoped and prayed it would! I was a little nervous about my cervix possibly being too short this pregnancy and having early labor issues again. Nope! Not yet anyways. Dr S, the high risk doctor we met with today, said that she's hoping that all my issues with the twins were simply because it was a twin pregnancy. She said it is a whole different ball game. My cervix was a good 4cm today 🥳 And our tiny little man was super wiggly, stubborn, and oh so entertaining! It was so good to see him on the screen today. It made it much more real. He had us and the ultrasound tech cracking up. Dr S even commented on the funny willy grabbing picture when she came in 🤣 The baby is DEFINITELY a boy! He must have felt self conscious that we were peeking at him today, so he kept reaching under his little leg and poking, yanking on, and covering up his boy parts, ha ha. It has already begun ladies and gentlemen! The ultrasound tech said she has all boys and never gives them grief for yanking on themselves because it is just something they've been doing since before birth, ha ha. So, so true. 

I have to go back in 4 weeks for them to recheck my cervix one more time and a few other things we couldn't get good images of today during the scan. Like a full shot of his heart (we did see 2 different chambers though), bladder, and a couple other things. But, his legs and arms measured well, as well as his head, feet had no signs of a clubbed foot, he was plenty active, and he has a good amount of amniotic fluid. Unfortunately the placenta is at the front of my uterus so it blocked a lot of our views today. The ultrasound tech was so sweet and tried her best to get a good profile pic of him for us but it just wasn't happening, ha ha. Maybe in 4 weeks we will have better luck. They said he weighs approx 7 oz right now and is almost 6 inches long from crown to rump ❤ Thanks to my sweet friend Kathryn for watching the twins for us again today, Blake had a great time being there to see our little guy too!

I have been feeling this little man move more and more lately. He was really kickin' tonight! So excited that his little movements are stronger now. I hope he gets nice and plump over the next 22.5 weeks! Besides getting tired more easily, I have been feeling pretty decent still. Except for this dang rash. I am already really regretting grabbing some things at Costco today after my appt. My rash has flared up again on my chest and legs from the heat. I seriously can't go anywhere 😔 I'm gonna be itchy for days. But my belly is growing every week! It is still more noticeable right now when standing though. Cuteness of the week: the twins were totally hysterical when I explained nursing the other day. Not sure if I already blogged about this? Cam said, "Mommy, my huggies are tiny. Will my huggies (what they calls boobs lol) get milk too??" When I said "Nope, just mommies do after their babies come out of their tummies...", he was like "oh, ok." And that was the end of it. They saw a picture of a mother nursing in my baby magazine and were like what the heck ha ha, so I figured it best to explain now. A few weeks ago while in a public bathroom with them, Claire loudly blurted out, "Mommy, I've never seen you have milk in your huggies before!!" Hopefully no one knew what she was saying, lol? These kids seriously crack me up though! Claire is constantly asking me "how is the baby doing in there mom?" When I tell her I think he is good and growing bigger she says, "oh, gooooood!" and then pats or rubs my belly. I CANNOT wait for him to get here this winter, these two are going to be absolutely adorable with him!! I hope and pray that all continues to go well ❤

I labeled the ultrasound pics so you'd know more of what you are looking at 😀

Weeks 15 & 16 - visiting family & some rash relief!

It has been a busy last couple of weeks! We had a fun time in Utah celebrating the twins 5th birthday late with extended family (Blake got covid and pneumonia right before the twins bday so we had to cancel our original trip in May), and visiting grandparents and an aunt and uncle in Nevada. The kids had a blast in Utah in the cooler weather. They played their hearts out outside in my grandparent's beautiful yard, a kiddie pool, on a slip n slide, zoomed on their scooters, and chased weenie dog pups. Thanks to everyone who came to their party, so many fun gifts ❤ Claire also got a haircut by Aunty Ash in UT. It has been driving her nuts and is long and heavy and itchy, so she got a cute little Bob cut! Blake and I are sad to see her long beautiful hair gone (especially Daddy), but man, I'm gonna save money on shampoo and conditioner for sure, ha ha. And it takes way less time to wash. Also, no more knarly tangles! I likely will never go back to long hair myself, blah! The kids had a great time playing with their aunt and uncle in Henderson too, we missed the other fam that was out of town but we hope they had fun on their trip! The twins discovered a love for checkers and chess with Uncle Cam (they didn't really play, just pretended and collected all the pieces in piles, lol). One of their uncles is also named Cameron Blake and it confuses Cam, so he calls him "that guy" 🤣 So, thank you That Guy and Aunt Wacey for entertaining the kids while we visited! Claire also had a blast looking through Daddy's mission pics with Grandma, she played Where's Waldo but with Daddy in each one of his mission pics, ha ha. Cam was so pooped by the time we left Blake's parent's house that he sacked out on me so we laid him on the couch, ha ha. They were sad to come home but also happy to sleep in their own beds again. Me too. It was a lonnng drive but the kids were angels like always! 

One of the best things about our trip was the COOLER weather! My rash almost completely went away in Utah, I was so happy I could have flippin cried. I was able to go outside for the first time in like 6 weeks and watch the kids play! We have been home in AZ for only a few days and my legs are already rashy and back to driving me insane. The van was a mess when we got home so I had to vacuum it out real quick so pretzels didn't get ground into the seats even more. And just in that time, in the shade in the garage, my chest broke out so badly. I'm so bummed. My midwife recommended cooler weather if possible and it definitely helped. I am going to go back as soon as possible!! I don't want and can't keep slathering myself in this Nystatin cream, that's not healthy. We have some house and car repairs that need done first (those are stories for another day) and I have a dr appt next week. But hopefully my parents new home will be done very, very soon and I can go back up and stay for awhile because this itching is absolutely obnoxious! And it is so awful not being able to stand wearing clothes, go anywhere, or being able to go outside and play with the kids 😔

I can't believe I'll be 17 weeks this weekend! So crazy. Time is just flying. Still can't believe there is a tiny person in there! Seriously guys, like even though I can feel him move, and my belly is growing, I'm still not convinced that this is all happening 🤣 Sweet little miracle boy 😭💙 Right now our little guy is around 5 inches long from crown to rump (more like 7 including his little legs) and has hair developing on his head and eyebrows. So cool! He can also taste the amniotic fluid with his tiny newly working taste buds and is already developing taste preferences according to a medical article I read recently. That just blows me away. At only 16 weeks he can taste! How can people justify abortion?! I won't even get started, but anyways. At this time during pregnancy the eyes and ears have moved into their final positions and he now has limited hearing! We probably all sound pretty crazy to him 🤣 If I don't overdue it, I have way more energy now a days. House work doesn't seem like such a gigantic and exhausting task, though I still don't like it, ha ha. And I am needing to nap less. Luckily the twins are little angels and will just sit and watch a movie or play toys while I sleep on the couch! More foods are also sounding appetizing. I've been eating lots of avocados lately, mangos, watermelon, sausage and hashbrowns, Naked or Bolthouse Farm smoothies drinks, and In n Out fries with this awesome new vegan Sir Kensington Special Sauce I found on Vitacost! It reminds me of fry sauce and is oh so tasty! Since we have so many food allergies and can't eat out, In n Out fries have been what I get when I'm craving something not from home. Just potatoes and sunflower oil, so nothing too unhealthy. But I need to not be lazy though and make my own homemade fries, ha ha. I even bought a fryer recently. 

I will post a belly pic next post, I definitely grew recently. So exciting to feel him start moving more! My back is starting to hurt quite a bit, as well as my tailbone. My belly will be huge soon enough ❤ I accidentally forgot to take a pic of the 15 week baby board before I started erasing it ha ha, so here's part of it, lol.