Back in the Saddle

Harper is almost a month old now and our family is adjusting well! I think we would be even more adjusted if the weather didn't change to freezing cold because Austin can always do better when he gets some outside exercise. I am hoping we still have our share of days with decent temperatures so I can take the kids on a run and then let Austin play on the playground or run around himself.

We went on a 1 mile run and 2 mile walk. Harper was 3 weeks old.

Austin got to go trick-or-treating for the first time this year too! He was a Washington Nationals baseball player and loved wearing his jersey, carrying his jack-o-lantern, and getting candy from houses! His daddy did such a good job guiding him on Halloween night through the crowded neighborhoods. Harper and I walked behind and took pictures seeing I was only 9 days postpartum. The 2.5/3 hour walk did me in! 

Austin's costume. He is saying, 'Cheese!'

Our church brought us meals for about a 2 week stretch which was amazing because I didn't have to cook or spend as much on groceries! We took Harper to church for her first time this past Sunday when she was 3.5 weeks old. She did great and even got some cuddles from her aunt.

Snuggling in church.

The only thing slowing me down now is being a little tired. My recovery has gone great. I never hurt badly like I did after having Austin. I also didn't have to take my pain medication for as long either. I imagine most of that is due to me staying physically active throughout the majority of my pregnancy. Either way, I'm glad I did because I stayed healthy and so did my baby girl!

tummy time

9 days old. I'll take a photo with the bear every month for a year to see her grow.

After her first bath. Austin loved 'helping'. And Harper did great!

4 weeks old

Cuties

Austin and Harper don't look anything alike! 

Two Days After My Due Date

On October 22, 2014, at 4:56AM, our daughter was born-Harper McKinley Proffitt.

She weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long (like her older brother). She joined the world after I pushed through a few contractions for 20 minutes-10 less minutes than it took to push out Austin.

She had swallowed some meconium so she was quickly suctioned out, but was crying to the process, which was music to our ears. It brought tears to my eyes.

I started feeling my contractions early the morning before and even took Austin on a 5 mile walk with me, where I lost my plug. By 11:30AM, my contractions weren't painful yet but were 4 minutes apart. They seemed to stay 4 minutes apart but increased in intensity throughout that night.

Stephen came home from work at noon, I put Austin down for a nap (and teared up a little), and we left for the hospital at 2:30PM when my brother arrived to watch Austin.

We stopped at Walmart to by a SIM card for the camera, walked around a bit, then drove to check-in at the hospital.

My weight was the same as it had been the day before at my doctor's appointment, and my blood pressure was even better than the day before. I was only 2/3cm dilated, but my water broke as the nurse checked me. So, we were there to stay til I delivered a baby.

My blood pressure and the baby's heart rate were textbook the entire labor. I had read that exercise during pregnancy can help reduce the chance of your baby becoming distressed during labor since they are accustomed to a higher level of stress from pregnancy exercise.  I'm not sure if that was the case, buy either way, Harper was healthy the entire labor.

I was sure to drink water throughout to help keep my body and baby both hydrated for the labor and delivery process.  I had to be monitored because my water had broken, but I was also given a birthing ball to bounce and roll on. It helped for a few hours, but the last two hours when I was at 5/6 cm dilated, nothing seemed to ease the pain.

I took long,  slow, deep breaths through the contractions, and my nurse encouraged me to keep going without the epidural because it seemed I was managing the contractions well. The only thing of comfort during those contractions (that hurt like wow), was having Stephen by me & knowing the contraction would eventually end and give me a little break.

I asked for the iv's (for hydration before an epidural) at 7:15PM, but didn't get them until about 9:30PM, followed by the epidural at 9:45PM. Those 2 hours hurt. I didn't get the iv's when I first asked because a lady came in delivering twins with no time to spare. All the nurses rushed to care for her and her babies. I understood, and I heard her yelling. But, I didn't want to be like her and in that much pain, so I prayed for that epidural during those contractions in that 2 hour wait.

As it always goes, I had a few contractions while having the iv's and epidural needle put into my body. Just breathe, and don't move. I found out I had great veins, but they are also very deep in my skin.

We had some visitors until 12:30AM, and then every 1.5-2 hours, I was progressing. I tried to rest but my epidural had a leak in it so the nurses had to come take care of that. I got sick once during this time, and Stephen was quick enough to get me a bag to avoid a mess. I little later I got Zofran, to help my nausea. Before we knew it, it was time to start pushing. After the first push, I got sick. The nurse was quick on the draw this time and got my bag for me before things got messy.

Stephen helped hold my legs, and I felt her move down with the pushes. It really was love at first sight. We had been waiting for so long to hold  our baby. Now, we finally could.

The doctor held her upside down at first to section out the meconium she had swallowed, but Harper quickly started crying which automatically brought tears to our eyes & erased all our fears of something going wrong. It was a relief & a beautiful moment. 

We both got to hold her soon after, & we felt successful & at ease after the labor & birthing marathon. It is a wonder how God creates us all inside of another human being. I am so grateful to God for allowing me to take part in it again, as well as for a healthy baby & pregnancy every step of the way. I do miss having Harper on the inside already & even running with her there, but I am so overwhelmed to hold her safely in my arms now.

37 Weeks

How far along?

37 weeks, 6 days. Oh, I'm counting. 

Total weight gain/loss:

25 pounds. +3 last week! Yikes! I think it's mostly all belly and boobs. Ha.

Sleep:

I am a master. Stick a pillow or two between my legs to keep my hips from hurting, lay on my side, and I'm out like a light.

Best moment this week:

Being able to 'joggle' (jog/waddle) 3 miles yesterday without stopping. It very well may be the last time I can physically do that until I return to running after our little girl has made an entrance.

Movement:

She moves, thank goodness! It doesn't usually hurt, except when she is on a ligament. And it is just an odd feeling when she pushes on my bladder.

Symptoms:

A little indigestion still along with constipation. Kind of. I usually go every day, but not more than once. Too much detail? Probably.

Food cravings:

Anything that tastes good.  

Food aversions:

Spicy and greasy food still, because I know it will give me indigestion.

Labor Signs:

No real labor signs. Only the ones telling me that I will give birth to a baby: her head is down, my groin hurts after walking or running a lot, and I'm at 1 cm dilated. All that means though is that I will eventually give birth. Don't know when though.

Exercise:

I've still been heading to the park 3 days a week since my last post in hopes of getting some cardio done-specifically running. I think I have only successfully run my entire 3 miles without stopping only twice since that last post. I have had a day where I only made it a mile and then had to walk the rest of the way. And the other times, I've run the majority and walked less than half a mile. One day, I actually did some sprinting along with my walking. That was kind of fun, but I couldn't go too far each time I sprinted, so I focused on going hard and as fast as I could (pushing a stroller and with my little self, that's not too fast). I tried.
I've been doing 50 squats every other day, keeping up with my planks and pushups, and trying to get my lunges in. The planks are tough because I'm heavy and the lunges are tough because it kills my groin. I think I'm experiencing crotch lightning. Ha. And at least 3 days a week I do some free weights for my upper body. Nothing much, because all I have is a ten-pound medicine ball and two eight-pound weights.

Oh, man, I'm just so excited and ready for this whole labor process again. I'm hoping things go smoothly so I can see what my body can accomplish. I guess time will tell. I hope she comes soon :)

Running While Pregnant

I am no professional at running. I've always been a slow runner except when I played lacrosse- I was a sprinter then. Short and long-distance running are two different animals.
I am by no means a long distance runner. The longest distance I've ever run in my life was 6 miles.
I'm a middle of the road kind-of gal. 3 miles. More if I have time, less if I don't.

All of my running this pregnancy has been with a jogging stroller. Except once. At the beach on vacation. I was 32 weeks pregnant then. It was so freeing but weird-I didn't know what to do with my hands! Ha!

Ok, I started running this pregnancy when I was around 13 weeks pregnant. I would have started during the first trimester, but it didn't cross my mind because I felt sooo bad. I did, however, follow this pregnancy DVD workout for several days a week during my first trimester (and I still do the workout at least once a week). I believe that helped me slowly return to running when the second trimester came along. I actually did longer walks before I started running just to be sure I could get my heart strong enough too. So, I'd say do long walks a week or two before you ease back into running. Come on, you have a few more weeks before that precious baby will come anyway.

First thing. I always emptied my bladder a few times before I left the house when I knew I was going to go on a run or walk. It helps. I've only had to stop once the entire time I have been pregnant, and I peed in the woods. Yes, I wiped with a leaf. A maple tree leaf, don't worry. But you need to empty your bladder at every stage in pregnancy before you workout because it helps. Trust me.

Second, I never wore a watch. I used MapMyRun on my phone. I put my phone in the cup holder on the stroller. The only time I looked at my phone was halfway through-to see my time-and then again at the end to stop and save my workout. I wasn't trying to go fast. I just wanted to go. So no watch for me.

When I started to run, I ran slow. Slower than I thought I really needed to. It gave me an idea of where I was. I did not want to push myself too hard. I want a healthy baby. I knew I had 27 more weeks to master it. Yes, people will pass you and it may be difficult to pass even a walker, but just try it. You're growing a human inside of your body. I think my pace was around 13 min/mile in the beginning. For some, that would be too slow. For others, that would be too fast. Listen to your body. Make sure you can breathe. You need to breathe to be able to function. Don't kill yourself.

Also, I ran a short distance when I began. I would go a little farther the next run. For example, my first run was 0.5 miles. That's it. If you've got more left in you, go for it. If you can walk for a mile after, go for it. If you have to leave it at that, go for it. My next run was 1 mile. The next, 2 miles. You get the idea. The farthest I've run while being pregnant is 3.3 miles. There have been times when I could have gone farther, but you have to remember-I run with a toddler who loses interest in everything within 5 minutes. It is no fun to go so far that when your son starts getting grumpy, you are 20 minutes away from the car to go home. And that's if you run back.

At around 20 weeks, I became consistent at running 3 miles 3 times a week. That's it. Some weeks I did less, some weeks I did more. That was my (and Austin's-my son's) comfort level.

Ok, the running part. How does that feel? Doesn't your belly bounce up and down? Well, when I thought I had a belly (when I of course didn't) it felt that way. I just had to look at it when I ran. I saw that it wasn't moving at all. It was all in my head. Now, when I started feeling my insides shake and I really was getting a belly, I ordered a maternity belt. I hear the Gabriella band is great in supporting your back and growing midsection, but because I had a gift card for Destination Maternity, I bought one of their belts instead. I think this was at around 20-22 weeks along. I ordered the large, because even though I didn't need that size then, I knew my ever-expanding belly would require a large in my last weeks of pregnancy. I was right. When I wear the belt, I never fasten it too tightly, just snug enough so the baby and myself can breathe while I move about down the running path. The support really helps settle any shaking belly movements. Now, at 35 weeks, I can feel gravity against my belly, but the band still works wonders and allows me to do what I want-move.

Ordered from Destination Maternity

What's my heart-rate when I run? Around 150-160bpm. It returns to normal within 1 minute of when I stop. Listen, there is no magic number for heart-rate when working out while pregnant. They say keep it below 140bpm, 120bpm, etc. There are many ideas on it. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not telling you to ignore yours. I'm just saying that my doctor is fine with me doing what I do at the heart-rate I reach. You know your body. You know when you are going too hard and when you can go harder without hurting yourself. Listen to your body and please, stop or slow down if you must! This is not a race-you are preparing to labor and deliver your child. You are trying to maintain your pre-pregnancy level of fitness, not lose weight, or reach new PRs (personal records). Listen to your doctor and your body. Please don't go crazy. Your body is beautiful pregnant or not. But while pregnant, your body is the home to your baby so please, please, be sensible and know this is only for about 40 weeks of your life. You can diet, lose weight, and strive for PRs after that sweet little child is born and your body can handle it better.

  So, why do I run? To keep my baby healthy, to maintain my pre-pregnancy level of fitness, to have energy and mobility to care for a toddler, to have a healthy weight, healthy blood pressure, less swelling, to keep my heart strong, and because I feel like Wonder Woman when I finish.

Tips for running with a stroller- keep all 3 wheels pumped at the same level. Alternate between hands when pushing. Lock your front wheel (you may need to use 2 hands in sharp turns if you lock the wheel, but it will keep the stroller from bouncing side to side when you run). Prepare non-messy snacks and plenty of water/juice for your toddler. Be prepared to stop and pick up that water/juice if they chuck it out half way into your run. Know that some dogs freak out when they see a stroller (you may want to pick up speed when you pass them).

I think that's all I've got. If I think of more, I'll return and add on to this very insightful post :)
___________________________________________________________________________

I thought of some more things.
Every day is different. Run when you can, walk when you must, and stop when you can't do more.
At 34 weeks, my stride had to change and become shorter. Baby was head down and a lot of the time pressing on my bladder. At the end of that week, my times had started to slow down drastically.
Today, at 35 weeks and 5 days, I ran my slowest miles but still went the full 3.3 miles. Pelvic and bladder pressure make me slower, along with my stretching hip ligaments.
Also, always stretch daily to help your muscles recover and to help yourself feel amazing. I love stretching.
Don't ever forget to drink up that water before and after a workout.
Do strengthening exercises for your butt and back to keep you running with ease. Squats, lunges, and deadlifts are my favorite. They can also be effective in strengthening those muscles you'll use for labor and delivery. And help you avoid a flat runner's butt.
___________________________________________________________________________

Update: I'm now 38 weeks, 2 days pregnant.
I have found the later you get into pregnancy the better it is (and helps!) to walk at least 1 mile warm-up before you run. I have been doing so this week especially, and when I start my jog, I feel amazing. My time per mile now is about 11:30 with a good warm-up.
The last time I ran my full 3.3 miles was last week at 37 weeks along.
This week, I have run 1 mile (would have been more, but a certain little boy was ready to be done) and then 2 miles today.
I feel great when I run. I do experience a pain in my left groin region the remainder of the day though after I walk or run. No stretching seems to help. I think baby is just on her way out soon.

35 Weeks

My glamor shot-in Austin and Harper's messy room. This is life.

How far along?

35 weeks, 2 days to be exact.

 

Total weight gain/loss:

22 pounds.

 

Sleep:

As long as I'm exhausted, I fall asleep with no problem. Even after 2-3 bathroom runs each night. The tough part is shifting from one side to the other with a pillow between my legs to keep my hips from hurting.

 

Best moment this week:

Well, this week hasn't been but 2 days long so I'll have to say running my 3.3 miles today. I made it the entire way after having to walk 1 mile in yesterday on my run. I felt so accomplished when I finished today.

 

Movement:

Baby girl moves a lot at night, shifting her butt from one side to the other. I believe she is mostly head down now, as I've felt more pressure in that direction, especially while running/walking.

 

Symptoms:

A little indigestion. It comes maybe once a day for a short period of time now. Since the start of last week, it has lessened drastically. I'm so thankful too.

Well, besides the obvious large midsection, there are no other symptoms that really bother me.

 

Food cravings:

Smoothie King. I made the mistake of going there for the first time in about a year and got their Yogurt D-Lite. My goodness it was like a milkshake, but with yogurt, protein powder, and no added sugar. I went back the next day. The only reason I haven't been since is because I'll drain our bank account if I keep feeding this craving. I instead have been making my own home smoothies. Soooo not as good. Oh well. I still get a butt-load of fruit when I make it at home.  

 

Food aversions:

Spicy food, because I know it will give me indigestion.

 

Gender:

Well, I'm putting my chips on the table and going to assume she is still a girl.

 

Labor Signs:

None. I haven't even notice any Braxton Hicks either. I never did with Austin. It's not like they tell you when you will go into labor anyway. It's just your body practicing for the big moment.

 

Belly Button in or out?

It is as out as it can be at this point. I was reading online that apparently some ladies' bellybutton are sensitive at this point. No sensitivity here. Just strange looking.

 

What I miss:

Sleeping on my belly. Sitting up and not feeling like I will pee in my pants if I move any more. Running without a sharp pain at the bottom of my uterus. Not having to worry about Austin falling, jumping, hitting, sitting on, or throwing anything onto my midsection.

 

What I am looking forward to:

My 35 week appointment tomorrow. I'll go every week from here on out.

Getting clothes and diapers for our girl.

Buying a breast-pump (I know, I'm weird).

Labor and delivery (I know, I'm still weird).

Meeting our little girl.

Austin meeting his little sister.

Sleeping on my stomach.

 

 

Weekly Wisdom:

Take it one day at a time.

 

33 Weeks

Total weight gain?

22 pounds still. No weight gain since my last appointment 2 weeks ago. Which makes sense because I 'gained' a lot those two weeks prior due to constipation. TMI, I know.

Sleep
This week has officially marked sleeping as a chore. I can't nap, and I'm always turning to get cozy at night. Not cool, so not cool. Also, I have indigestion at all times of the day, even if I haven't eaten or drank anything in hours. That makes sleeping that much more fun.

Movement

She continues to move more and more. I also feel little hiccups a lot more now as well.

I'm impressed I don't look too bad for being this far along. No swollen ankles and my legs look healthy. I can tell I haven't gained weight in my face either. With Austin, this was about the time I started picking up lots of water retention everywhere in my body. Hoping to keep that away this go-round.

Exercise

I have been killing it on staying consistent with my runs. I even ran and walked a ton at the beach on vacation last week. People told me not to exercise on vacation.  I told them I'm going to because 1) it gives me energy, 2) keeps me & the baby healthy, 3) allows me to eat more of what I want, and that 4) I will swell up like a balloon if I don't get to exercise. I even got to run once without the stroller (first time without since before Austin was born-over 2 years!) I broke my shoes on Monday and ordered new ones that will be here Thursday.  I can't wait! I'm kind of proud that I worked so hard that I need new running shoes while pregnant!
I've been focusing a lot more on my squats and lunges recently too.
Since about 22 weeks, I've been wearing a support belt when I run which makes all the difference. Every preggo runner needs one.

As of today, these are my miles below, plus 3 more miles in the 3rd trimester column. I'm totally going to beat my miles from last trimester. I started late in the 2nd trimester anyway, so I expected to beat them.

Austin's 2 year checkup went perfectly. He's on track with his growth curve and didn't even flinch when they pricked his finger to check his hemoglobin level. What a stud.

31 Weeks



31 Weeks

 

Total weight gain?

22 pounds. The nurse asked me at my 31 week checkup how much I  gained with Austin-45 pounds. She then reassured me that wouldn't happen this time!

Sleep
I wake up around 4AM every morning and it takes me a while to fall back asleep. Also, I can't seem to take naps. If I have time to, I lay down but can't fall asleep! Otherwise, I sleep great at night and am so thankful.

Movement

She is definitely moving a lot more lately and I love it. Even when I go to bed, I can feel her shaking my whole body. Sometimes, I wonder if it will wake Stephen up. Then I remember a train running through his room couldn't budge him.

Exercise

This has been tough! Honestly, the times I really don't want to exercise but I do, I gain so much energy! Working out has given me the energy to make it this far. I still run 3 times a week for a 3 mile stretch each time. Last week, I had my fastest time since I started running while pregnant. Go figure. I've been slacking on my weights and other muscular endurance exercises though, but my stretching is still going well. I really need a kick in the butt some days to get my workouts done! I always feel great afterwards-it's just the part of getting it started. Now, if only I can actually get it all done for (at the most) another 11 weeks...

Stretch Marks
No sir-ee.

Name
We finally picked a first name-Harper. After Bryce Harper on the Washington Nationals. It was Stephen's idea, but the name is cute for a girl. We still aren't sure on a middle name...at least I don't think we are.

Harper on the left, Austin on the right

31 weeks flexed-hard to tell!

 

 

28 Weeks

28 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain?

20 pounds. I don't know how, but pounds keep coming on.

Sleep
I can sleep well still, but I have the strangest dreams. I've always had weird dreams, but now they are worse. And I do have to get up to use the bathroom at least once each night.

Movement

Certain moments in the day and night she moves a lot. At other times, she is so still till I poke her.

Exercise

I have stopped doing my dvd as much because it bored me, but I do it about once a week still. Running is the same and going well. I do lunges and squats and variations 3 times a week at least, along with my planks and pushups. I finally got some dumbbells so I have added them to my regimen 3 days a week as well-mostly for my upper body.

Stretch Marks
Still nothing new.

Most Exciting Thing This Week
I got some new maternity clothes- a tshirt, tank top, shorts, & pants.
I'm also reminded of how a year ago this week we found out we were expecting our 2nd child. Even though they are with their Creator now, I'm so thankful for the hope we have and another healthy baby in the making 💗

27 Weeks

27 weeks and 2 days.

Total weight gain?

18 pounds. I'm actually okay with that because it's right on track.

Sleep

I'm a professional at this sport. Even if I can't breathe out of my nose half the time (thank you, sinuses), I can still manage a wonderful night's sleep. I may be achy when I wake up, but as long as I can sleep when I close my eyes, I can handle it.

Movement

I can tell she is getting stronger because her movement the past 2 weeks has shot through the roof...and I love it. I know she's healthy.

Exercise

I am still running 3 miles three times a week and doing my pregnancy workout on dvd. I've started to do more planks and pushups to strengthen my upper body. I've been using my medicine ball 3 times a week to do some arm strengthening too. And every night, I stretch anything I possibly can. I start to feel some lower back and hip pain at night so I'm hoping the stretching can help some with that.

Stretch Marks
So far, so good! Hope it keeps up!

Thoughts on this pregnancy
I think things are going great and on track for a healthy baby. I still have fears that something could go wrong. I don't talk about that though, because regardless,  God is still good. I think Stephen still gets a little worried about the possibilities of something happening but we are very positive and hopeful.
I've stayed healthier this pregnancy than when pregnant with Austin so I am hoping our baby will be perfectly healthy and that labor and delivery go well for her. I want her to be taken care of. 

Austin is going to absolutely love her too. He loves baby Kara, who we have been helping with this week. I can't wait to see him with his own sister 💕

25 Weeks

How far along? 

25 weeks today.

Total weight gain?

16 pounds. I gained another this past week. I was always eating. Seeing that I have about 15 more weeks, I may become a balloon.

Sleep

I still have no problem sleeping. I'm going to say that's because I wear myself out during the day. Now, I've just got to keep it up!

Movement

She moves most when I bend over ( I must squish her) and when I lay on my side.

 

Exercise

I logged 13.5 miles this past week. 5 miles were from walking and 8.5 miles were from running. I did my pregnancy workout twice as well. I signed up to do the 100 Mile Challenge, so I'm well on my way to getting there. It goes from July 1st through September 26th, so I've got plenty of time.

 

Best Moment of the Week

As cheesy as it sounds, my best moment has been spending time with Stephen. I got to watch him at his softball game, watch our Washington Nationals play, and sit on the back deck at night with Stephen. It was a 3-day weekend for him so we soaked up the time we all had together.

 

 

 

Gender Reveal

We had some friends and family over the first Saturday in June to find out the sex of our baby.






I made some last minute decorations, of course, and hung them up around the party.

We had hotdogs, chicken salad, macaroni and cheese, watermelon, corn, cookies, and homemade ice cream to satisfy everyone's hungry belly.




Stephen had read the ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby. He then blew up and filled twenty-some balloons with pink confetti for all the guests to pop at the same time. He passed them out to everyone asking them not to look because some of the balloons were see through.






Everyone held their balloon over their head...





...and we popped them on the count of 3. PINK confetti went everywhere. It was so cute!
 



Stephen did such a good job getting the reveal balloons ready. This picture describes real life as well-we couldn't get a picture of both of us with our eyes open. Oh well!






Austin was so scared of all the popping balloons that he held on to Stephen for dear life afterwards.





Our baby girl got an early gift from her great grandparents.



We had such a good time. It was nice having enough food for everyone and being able to relax with everyone. And we are so thankful for our healthy baby girl!

20 week ultrasound

24 weeks

How far along? 

24 weeks today.

Total weight gain?
15 pounds. Wowsers. The doctor measured the height of my uterus today & said it was measuring juuust over 23 weeks. My blood pressure was 100/57 and my weight was up 4.8 pounds since my 20 week visit.

Maternity Clothes
I wear more maternity shirts now. I have yet to wear my maternity pants since the rubberband trick still works. I also wear workout clothes a lot because I don't have much to dress up for, and let's be honest - they are cozy!

Sleep
I sleep fine at night because I've been sooo tired. I'm starting to notice my hips are more uncomfortable though. This means I'll need to start sleeping with a pillow between my legs soon. Ugh. Since 21 weeks along, I no longer sleep on my stomach.  Baby girl would start moving a lot so I've opted to no longer squish our child. I'm sure she is glad about that. And yes, I have to use the bathroom at least once every night. 

Movement
Some days more than others, I feel her move a lot. Thankfully,  I feel her move every day.

Food cravings and aversions
Keep the bacon away, please. Can't stand it. Same with pork. I will gladly eat some ice cream or a milkshake though ☺

Exercise
The past two weeks I've only exercised 4 times since I was exhausted from watching a 6, 4, 2, & 1 year old along with a 3 month old for eight and a half hours each weekday. I'm hoping to return to my 3 mile runs 3 days a week and my pregnancy dvd workouts 3 days a week. I would like to keep baby and myself healthy.

Stretch Marks
None. Let's keep it that way.

Sex of the baby
Girl!  We popped balloons and pink confetti came out! We are excited.  Austin knows that his baby sister is in my tummy now too. Next, we hope he will say 'baby'.

Baby Times

Our little rainbow baby is growing.
Statistics say if you become pregnant within 6 months of a miscarriage, you are more likely to have a healthy pregnancy and carry to full term. A healthy pregnancy means a healthy baby.

 

Our baby is now 16 weeks and 3 days along. I have felt some squirms and finally escaped that darn morning sickness. No more running to the bathroom or avoiding food and smells. I have an appointment next Tuesday and then, the next appointment will be when we find out the sex of our baby!

 

I told Stephen I may cry if it's not a boy because I think Austin would love to have a brother so close in age. Of course, a little girl would be awesome, but I will definitely have to prepare myself.

 

At our first (and only appointment thus far), Stephen and I were so scared that we would not see a heartbeat. I cried when we did and Stephen's face lit up with relief. The toughest part of this pregnancy, even among the morning sickness, is waiting to hear our baby's heartbeat. Every doctor's appointment will come with anxiety until that 'thump, thump' is heard.

Sunday, April 6th, 2014

I feel so lonely on this day. Instead of celebrating the fact that it is the due date of our second child, we remember the loss and tears come as we think of the child we never got to meet. No one knows what this day is to us.  We will go about it normally-we'll eat, go to church, put Austin down for a nap, go to youth group, and go to bed. I'm afraid of bedtime because this day is the day I feel closest to my child since the day their soul left this world.

It has been over 7 months since we lost our child but it still hurts just as bad. I still think of him/her every single day. Today is going to be one of the toughest days and I don't know how I'm going to come out of it with a smile.

I'm glad Stephen knows what I'm going through. I'm glad we'll have each other today.

A New Point of View

'And he will thank you for giving him life. He will thank you for enduring the loss that he might have the reward sooner.'

John Piper

I read an interesting letter that John Piper wrote to a mother who lost her child. This quote was something that I got from it that I think I will remember. It is a good take on how to look at any loss, in the womb or outside of it.