We're now 12 weeks and 1 day into our pregnancy, just under two weeks left until the second trimester!! I'm hoping that it will bring with it the energy that I've been lacking so much lately.. The good news- fatigue is my only real complaint over the last few weeks! I haven't had any real morning sickness in a few weeks now, for which I am so thankful. I get tired easily- a good shopping trip to Target or the grocery store and I'm spent, but as long as I listen to my body and rest when it needs it, I'm usually fine. I'm so happy that this pregnancy has gone so much smoother than my first so far!
Two weeks ago I took the Intelligender test, the at-home test that tells you (with 90% accuracy) if you're having a boy or a girl. I took the same test when I was pregnant with Juliet, and it was right for her! This time around, it says we're having a BOY! Matt will be home in just under 5 weeks, and we'll have an ultrasound done then to confirm. I'm very excited, and would love to have a little boy this time around. But of course, I'll be just as happy with another little girl!
Today we had our 12 week appointment at Trinity Women's Care. The appointment went very, very well! We started out with an ultrasound that just took my breath away. I knew the baby would be much more developed than the last time we saw it three weeks ago, but I wasn't quite expecting to see a baby just yet. I already have such a cute little baby in there! He or she is measuring at 6.7cm from head to bottom- that's almost 3 inches! I could very clearly make out the nose and other facial features, a round little belly, arms and legs moving all over, and hands and feet complete with all it's fingers and toes! And of course, that incredibly reassuring flicker of the heart beating away! The ultrasound put the baby at 12 weeks and 6 days, about 5 days ahead of where we are now. Our little one has been very busy growing lately! It's still too early to see if we're having a boy or girl with the ultrasound. At least that's what the tech told me, she didn't actually look to see. It's alright though, I'm still excited about waiting until Matt gets home to find out for sure! I'll be 17 weeks when he gets here, so we'll have a definite answer then! After the ultrasound, I saw one of the midwives for the regular check-up. She did a pap and an internal exam. Based on the internal exam, she said everything looks and feels "perfect" and that I have a "great pelvis!" She showed me where to feel on my tummy to feel exactly where the baby was, which I thought was very neat. So all in all, the baby is doing great, and I couldn't be happier!
I think my favorite part of pregnancy is being able to feel the baby moving, and guess what?? We're there!! For the past few days, I've definitely felt my little baby wiggling and tapping me lightly. There have been a few times over the past couple of weeks where I thought I might have felt him or her, but I wasn't positive. This week though, I know it's the baby moving. I first felt Juliet moving at about 12 and a half weeks, even though everyone told me I was crazy and I couldn't possibly be feeling the baby so soon. Well, I watched those same feelings get stronger and stronger over the weeks and eventually turn into kicks, so I know what I was feeling was her. Now that this is my second time around, I definitely know the difference between my own tummy doing its thing and the baby saying 'hi' to me! It's still pretty random, and doesn't last too long right now, but I absolutely LOVE those little moments where I can just sit perfectly still and feel this amazing life inside me moving around on its own.
We do have a new decision we need to make at some point. Matt and I will be going back to Hawaii for a while after he gets back from Afghanistan, so we need to decide if I will be going back early and having the baby in Hawaii, or staying in Florida and having the baby here, and then moving back to Hawaii when the baby is old enough to make the trip. There are a lot of pros and cons to both choices. If we have the baby in Hawaii, I'll have to move in May, before I'm too far along in the pregnancy to fly. A friend has offered to let us stay with her until we find a new place and are ready to move in there. Summers in Hawaii are not nearly as hot or humid as summers in Florida, which will mean a lot when I'm 8 and 9 months pregnant! I've read that Tripler Army Medical Center (where I would deliver) does support VBAC deliveries. We would be able to get settled, for the most part, in our new home before the new baby gets here. I think the biggest perk to going back early is that Juliet and I will be able to meet Matt as soon as he gets back from Afghanistan, and he'll have a chance to be present for the birth of our second child. The downside of going back early is that if Matt isn't home in time for the birth, I'll be doing it on my own, and the family here in Florida won't be able to meet our second baby right away. Also, I'll be 7 months pregnant and flying to Hawaii with a toddler which could be difficult. If we stay in Florida to have the baby, the family can be there when he or she is born. I'll be able to stay with the same obstetrician and midwives for the entire pregnancy and delivery. The downside is that Matt will more than likely miss the birth, and he'll have to fly to Florida to help me bring the kids back, since I won't be able to travel on my own with a toddler and a newborn. I also hate that he would be home from Afghanistan and I still wouldn't be able to see him, after being separated for so long. We have some thinking to do, but I know that in the end, we'll choose what's right for our family.
I'm so excited about our new baby, I can't wait to meet him or her. For now, I'm going to fall asleep feeling him or her wiggling around, since it feels like its playtime now!
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