#166 - A Look from the Outside

In honor of the last post showing our baby's ultrasound picture, here's what my belly looks like on the outside:

This is me at 33 weeks pregnant. Ignore the hair that hadn't been washed in a week and the lack of make-up - this is how bed rest looks!

As a comparison, this was me 32 weeks pregnant with Owen, back in 2008:

Is it just me, or does my belly look smaller this go around?

Here's how I've grown this time.....

This was me at 15 weeks (December 25, 2010):

17 weeks:

21 weeks:

33 weeks:

So, what do you think I'm having? Poll on the right side of screen.

#165 - A Look at Owen's Little Bro/Sis

We had a good OB appointment this week. Until I deliver, I will have an ultrasound every two weeks. It's fun to be able to see the baby so often! The baby looked great and is right on schedule. They estimate he/she weighs 4 lbs and 1 oz right now. We still don't know what we are having, but here's a 3D picture of the little one (the fuzzy stuff on the right is amniotic fluid). I think he/she looks just like Owen!

Some pregnancy stats/info:

• I'm 33 weeks pregnant
• I've gained about 23 pounds
• I can still see my feet
• I'm still sleeping good, although it's gotten tough to turn over in bed
• My belly button is now an "outie"
• My only real craving has been cereal. Some days I eat cereal for breakfast and dessert.
• The baby is very active - moving around all day and night. Fortunately, the baby is head down, and will likely stay that way until delivery. Unfortunately, this means that the baby often kicks me hard in my rib cage. It hurts!
• I have a little bit of reflux, but other than that, I feel fine.
• Still no final decisions on names. We are much closer on a boy name than we are on a girl name.
• Most days, I "feel" like I'm having a boy. But, that changes often.
• We hope to meet this little one in June!

#163 - Update on Pregnancy

Well, some of you know the difficulties we've had recently, but I thought post the details since you have been so sweet and caring and worried about us.

Two Sundays ago (March 27), I woke up with a lot of contractions. I had been having contractions pretty often this pregnancy, and my doctor was well aware of them and had me tracking them. Well, that morning, they started coming every 2-5 minutes. I had 22 in one hour! So, I called the doctor and she said to go right into Labor & Delivery. Fortunately, our good friends the Herndons were able to be here in five minutes to watch Owen, and Lou and I headed to the hospital. Once there, they hooked me up to the monitors, and gave me an injection of Turbuteline to try to stop then. Over the next hour, I was still having them, so I got two more injections. Still not helping. So, I got admitted and hooked up to a magnesium sulfate drip. No fun at all, as it makes you nauseated, dizzy and flushed. But, it helped slow them to about every 5-10 minutes. I also started receiving some injections of steriods which are used to help the baby's lungs develop faster in the event I have an early delivery. Those hurt like hell.

I ended up being in the hospital for four days while they got the contractions under control. The good news is that the contractions were not causing me to go into labor. I was sent home from the hospital that Wednesday on strict bedrest and on a medication called Procardia, which helps slow down contractions.

We were so blessed to have the help and support of our friends and family when this happened. Maggie watched Owen for us on Sunday, and then he went over to Rebecca's house Sunday afternoon and stayed there for two days. My mom came in town on Monday and stayed with us until Wednesday. She was a godsend - taking care of Owen, cooking and cleaning and basically handling everything for us while Lou stayed with me in the hospital. Last Friday, Lou's mom, Isabel, flew down to Savannah and will stay with us for the month of April. Our good friend, Wendy picked her up from the airport for us. It's been wonderful having her here.

This past week has been up and down. I had a great check up at the doctor on Tuesday. Things seemed to be going well, and I was feeling great. Then, on Thursday, totally unexpectedly, I starting bleeding. Within five minutes, Isabel had me in the car on the way to the hospital. Lou was already there and was waiting for me in the parking lot with a wheelchair. It was pretty sweet in a very scary moment. They immediately admitted me, and I bought myself another two days in the hospital. Fortunately, everything ended up being okay. We'll probably never know what caused it, but my OB believes it was bleeding from my placenta.

I'm still having contractions, but the bleeding has stopped. The doctor has put me on even stricter bedrest and I'm seeing her at least once a week. I'm a little over 30 weeks pregnant, and it's extremely important that I get to at least 32 weeks. Once I get there, I will worry about getting to full-term (37-40 weeks).

Being on bedrest is tough. Fortunately, I'm able to do much of my job remotely, and my work has been very understanding and supportive. Being able to work at home helps make the days go by faster, and it keeps my mind moving, allowing me to stay connected. But, the hardest part is not being able to do pretty much anything for Owen or the house. It is so very hard to watch Lou and Isabel do everything. Every diaper change, bath, bedtime, meal and chore has to be done by them. There are times when I'm laying in bed and I hear Owen crying and screaming, and it's torture to lay here and not be able to get up and go comfort him, or give Lou a hand. It breaks my heart. And then, there are the little things, like when my water bottle is empty and I need a refill. I feel silly calling my mother-in-law to have her do a mundane task like that. It's tough to ask for help all day long. The last thing I want to be is a burden.

But, even if I have it hard, I know that Lou has it harder. Not only is he the primary caregiver for Owen at home, but he has to get up at 5:00 every day to go into work, and many days he doesn't get home until 8:00 at night. I know this is challenging for him. He's constantly worried about me and the baby, worried about Owen, and getting very little sleep. Thank God Abuela Isa is here.

Our baby is safe right now, and growing strong and healthy. Owen is a happy, outgoing little boy (who has started sleeping in his new bed!). So, we have a lot for which to be thankful.

We would appreciate your continued prayers for this little one that I'm carrying. And, from the bottom of our heart, we thank you for your kind words, your offers of help, and the support you've given us!

Love,

The Saez Family

#154 - Popped!

I've officially popped. As Lou so innocently said last night, "it seems like you got really big much faster this time around." :) He really meant that in a nice way.

I feel great. No complaints here. I've been trying not to pick up Owen as much because I know that in a few short weeks, I won't be able to at all.

We're starting to work on Owen's big boy room. We're getting it painted this week, and have ordered furniture. If I'm brave, I might attempt to make his window curtains.

We'll keep you updated on the progress!

#151 - My first pregnancy update

I don't think we've officially talked on here about our expanding family, so here goes.

I'm pregnant.

Ha ha! In all seriousness though, here's an update on our pregnancy. Well, my pregnancy. We usually don't say, "We're pregnant" because, well, WE are not. I am. However, WE'RE expecting our second child this June. And Owen is quite excited to be a big brother. If you don't believe me. Just ask him! Last week, he told me he wanted a little sister named, "Money". Seriously, I can't make this stuff up.

So, my friend Michelle does this on her blog, and I'm going to blatantly copy her. (Thanks, Michelle! And I'm so excited to be pregnant as the same time as you!)

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 18 weeks and change

Size of baby: 5 1/2 - 6 inches, about 7 ounces. Or, about the size of a large sweet potato. Based upon my picture below, I think I'm carrying a sack of sweet potatoes.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: About 6 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yeah. Since 12 weeks.

Sex of Baby: It will be a surprise!

Movement: Been feeling the baby pretty much each day now.

Sleep: I'm definitely lucky here. I've been sleeping fine, and Lou has been an absolute trooper. More often than not, he's been putting Owen down at night and getting up with him during the night, which allows me to get a lot more sleep than he's been getting. It's helped me so much to keep up my energy, and I'm so grateful.

What I miss: Nothing, really. I have not been "limiting" myself as much as I did when I was pregnant with Owen, and because of that, I find that I don't even think about things that I used to eat, drink or do.

Cravings: Pickles - I go through at least one jar a week. And, ice-cream. I'm a text book pregnant lady!

Symptoms: The second trimester has been a piece of cake. The first trimester was absolutely awful. This past week, I've been experiencing a bunch of contractions. I went to the doctor, and had them there while they monitored me, but they are normal. Just need more water and rest (again, why my husband is a godsend at night).

Best Moment this Week: Having a three-day weekend with Owen and Lou was great. Owen is getting so big, and talks like such a big boy. We can actually have a conversation with him. It's the most rewarding thing ever! Plus, we booked our vacation to Disney World, and I'm extremely excited about that!

A funny picture of Lou, Owen and Cocoa from this morning. Owen and Lou have been inseparable these past few weeks. My little Mommy's Boy has become an even more faithful Daddy's Boy. I love it! It totally warms my heart!

Finally, a little blast down memory lane - here's Owen in his Little Tykes Cozy Coupe when he turned one.

And, a year and a half later...... here he is this weekend. :)