Pictures of Paisley

Greeting her new baby!  Don't worry- I'll post my 20 week pic once we take it this week.  I've grown A-L-O-T in 3 weeks...

Exploring around the duck pond at OSU where daddy proposed to mommy

Paisley with the library in the background- the place where I spent the least amount of time

Showing our plump lips and attitude

Bubble time at Gymboree

Super happy about bubbles

Kicks

Baby Deuce is a strong little fetus!  I've been feeling some movement since 17 weeks which is WAY earlier than I did with Paisley.  And it's already pretty frequent, with something almost every day.  But tonight we were watching TV and I thought, "Wow, that is a pretty strong movement."

So, I lifted my shirt to watch what I figured would be nothing at all, but to my surprise- you could already see little kicks!!!  And before you all think I've been drinking some crazy juice (which would be prohibited during pregnancy), Aaron could even see it!   What's really impressive is how far apart the little one could make jabs and punches, as if he/she is already 3 feet tall.  :)

I remembered that I loved being pregnant, but I had forgotten just how amazing it truly is!  Thanks Deuce for being so active and strong!!! 

Let's Talk about Deuce

Thank you dear friends.  You reassured me that my own network of people haven't just decided that we are such awful parents to Paisley that they cannot imagine us having a 2nd.  (The thought actually crossed my mind.)  And when I come to think of it, I've kinda ignored people's subsequent pregnancies too.   Like the more you have, the less attention you need.  Yet, I've always thought people should have a baby shower for every baby because it's a celebration of its own.   I'm just a neglectful friend who commonly forgets birthdays and other sentimental things.  But I'm always here if anyone needs me!

So, let's just talk about Baby Deuce for a moment.  Because last night I feel like I finally had a little bonding time with this baby while preparing my adorable, newborn, neutral clothes.  It's not as easy to do since I'm so busy with Paisley.  With her, I did my prenatal yoga and continuously rubbed my belly and dreamed about her...  With this little person, I try to remember to see my OB every month and not eat raw sushi.  I didn't lift over 10 pounds with her and now I lug her 23-pound body around all day.   Things change...

Baby Deuce has been an absolutely wonderful inhabitant of my uterus.  This little one hasn't created much of a stir at all.  In fact, if the bump hadn't appeared and I hadn't missed my period, I could have been on "I didn't know I was pregnant".   I occasionally feel a sweet little flutter and Deuce loves to pose for the camera on our ultrasounds.  Deuce has NO food aversions which Paisley had a ton of.  I don't have a strong sense of smell this time (last time I could smell everything 10 times stronger than before).  I've had no nausea whatsoever.  And my reflux is being kept at bay with an occasional Prevacid. 

Sleep has been perfect this time.  I feel pretty again with my fast-growing bump.  And I'm a lot less scared about being a mom again.  It just feels right.  This baby will complete us. 

Names, you ask?  I don't mind sharing on here at all.   If we have a boy, the name is Graham Thomas which we'd picked last time.  Graham is for my grandpa who was the greatest man ever to walk this earth.  He would have adored my babies as much as he adored me.  Our son would be lucky to bear the name.    Thomas is for Aaron's side of the family.

Girl's choice is Piper Reese.  I loved Kennedy, but someone (not naming names) vetoed it.  He feels that it's cursed.  Whatever.  So, we agree that Piper goes well with Paisley.  The girl name has absolutely no sentimental value at all, just a name we like.  :)

SO, I'm super excited for August (or maybe late July) so that I can meet this little person.   And I know he or she will be greeted with as much love and excitement as Paisley.  Plus, Deuce already has the coolest big sister!!!

Just another baby?

So, I'm finding that pregnancy with a 2nd child is just different altogether.  My first pregnancy (well, technically my 2nd) was so long anticipated that everyone made a big deal about it.  All the time.  It seemed to be all that people could talk about at work, family gatherings, by text, by phone, etc.  In fact, I actually got a little tired of answering questions about my pregnancy by the end.  "Boy or girl?", "When are you due?", "What names have you chosen?".  These were all so common that I swore I was going to make a shirt that said, "we aren't finding out, August, and none of your business because you'll probably just make fun of them."

But it was super nice to have so many people look forward to meeting my sweet baby and it kept me excited too.  What I've discovered is that after you successfully have one, the next just isn't all that great of an accomplishment to anyone else.  It's like everyone thinks that we never had trouble.  We are still not "normal people" who easily reproduce.  We had surgeries to help correct our problems which thankfully have continued to help for now.  And with a lot of luck on our side, this time worked out easier for us.  But it is no less of a miracle!

And I don't want constant attention by any means, but it might be nice if people would mention my pregnancy a little more frequently (or ever).  See how things are going, ask to see ultrasound pictures, act interested at least a bit.  I have trouble feeling like this pregnancy is real because I have felt so great and it happened so effortlessly, so I forget that it's really happening when everyone around me acts like it isn't.  Except at work where occasionally the doc I work for will ask if I'm doing okay, but I know it's only because he's already freaking out that I'm going to be off work soon.  :)

Maybe this is pretty normal?  Any of you have any experiences with 2nd pregnancies being a bit ignored?

Easy Street

Knocking on wood as I write this...

I feel like this is the easiest pregnancy that has ever occurred in the history of procreation.  And it happened spontaneously.  No doctors, needles, medications or ultrasounds.  My charts were put away and my thermometer never left my drawer.  In fact, my RE doesn't even know that I'm pregnant this time.  This girl seriously won the fertility lottery. 

So I expected that it would be a miserable pregnancy.  Only seemed fair really.  And I don't think I would have even complained if I'd been plagued by morning sickness, out-of-control mood swings, and extreme fatigue.  

Paisley was a booger to get, so I was blessed with a great pregnancy with her which only seemed right.  Even then, I dealt with continuous nausea until 14 weeks, back pain that made my legs numb, and a funky heartrate that earned me a heart monitor several times. 

This time, the biggest complaint that I can possibly come up with if I'm being super creative and nit-picky is that I've had round ligament pain.  Several times.  Not enough to ruin a day or even really comment on.  I just didn't have it last time.  Otherwise, I feel completely normal.

Which in a way is a bad deal because it's hard for me to remember that I actually have a little being growing in there who is sooner rather than later going to come forcing their way out!!!

This Too Shall Pass

I cannot even count how many times I've whispered to myself "this too shall pass" since becoming a mom.  You know the times...  standing in a pool of vomit while home alone with a cranky baby, waking up for the 10th time in a 6-hour-period because your daughter wants to play, struggling to get a squirmy resistant toddler into a carseat while strangers watch like you're a bad parent, wondering how/where to change a poopy diaper on a plane and questioning your child's poor timing...

It has kept me from losing my mind numerous times over the past 18-months.  And what I've learned in the process is that kid's have phases.  Phases where they don't eat at all or don't nap or cry a lot.  And then they just outgrow it on their own.

Paisley has decided that she loves solids again.  For 4-5 days now, she'll eat whatever we have.  Meats, fruits, vegetables, breads.  Also, she hasn't thrown a fit nor vomited at bedtime anymore!!!  She's going down without a fight which is terrific.  I love ending our day peacefully and with some sweet snuggling rather than crying it out. 

So once again the Queen Baby has reminded me that I just need to roll with the punches.  No need to freak out and try to hire Super Nanny to come fix my child!

Ultrasound Pictures

My beautiful baby's profile!

Cute foot

Little Hand

5 Perfect Fingers

No pictures please, paparazzi...