Laughing with Sarah

Seeing as most of the picture I've taken these last few days are of our flood damage, it is a welcome change to take a picture of something nice: 22 weeks (and one day) - August 27, 2016

If you don't want to read the rest of the story, no worries. The quick update: had my regular monthly OB appointment yesterday afternoon. My blood pressure was good (which, given the rest of my day, as you'll read, is a small miracle). Owlet was squiggling up a storm in my belly, and heartbeat was 144. Belly is measuring 22cm, which is spot-on for being nearly 22 weeks. A small and very appropriate weight gain over the last month. We talked over the ultrasound report, and everything looks good. The only thing to keep watch on is my placenta, and not for any of the reasons that I had suspected. Apparently, anterior placenta after a c-section could potentially signal that the placenta has nestled in and gotten itself stuck in my c-section scar, which wouldn't be the best. But Dr. Locke communicated that the risk is pretty low, and that there's nothing to do or worry about right now, and that we'll do a repeat ultrasound sometime before 30 weeks. Otherwise, all is well...

This is what I look like as of today: 21 weeks (August 19, 2016) Owlet is still wiggling up a storm, and the belly is definitely growing. I don't have another doctor's appointment until next Wednesday, when we'll get to talk over my ultrasound results in addition to the usual business of weight, blood pressure, Owlet's heart rate, etc. Funny (not so much) story: My ultrasound was last Friday, and the ultrasound tech was very kind. She did all her business, and then took time to show us fun pictures of Owlet wiggling around, and Owlet's crossed ankles, and cute profile shots and all. She told us that the radiologist would now look through the pictures and write a report, which would then be forwarded to my doctor, who would talk through the results with us. She warned us that this sometimes takes a couple of business days, and so, being a Friday, I didn't expect to hear anything until at least the middle of this week. I got a phone call on Monday morni...

Two "momentous" things today. First, I'm exactly 20 weeks! Which means that I am halfway through this pregnancy (minus a few days because, you know, planned c-section and all). It also means that it is time to start taking weekly bump pictures. I think that our bathroom mirror is particularly friendly, because I'm pretty sure that I'm bigger than this picture would suggest: 20 weeks (August 12, 2016) Second, we had our twenty week ultrasound today! Being a Friday, Sam and I started our morning with breakfast at Magpie, as usual, and then Matt picked us up and we all went over to the hospital together. We had explained to Sam that we were going to the doctor to see pictures of the baby. He was excited! Though I think that the "pictures" were not quite what he was expecting. We had a very nice ultrasound tech, and she explained that she was going to check a lot of things and take upwards of 100 pictures, but that she wouldn't be able to give ...

In pregnancy, there is no rhyme or reason to any calories in/calories out equation you can devise. None whatsoever. I was on vacation the first week in July, at a conference the third week in July, and on vacation again the first week in August. Meaning that my eating habits have been all over the place. Or, rather, that I've had many very enjoyable eating experiences over the last month. :) I've also re-committed to working out these last couple weeks, mostly strength training and core. Lots of squats and lunges and side planks (ouch). Meanwhile, I keep stumbling upon pictures of myself from three years ago, when I was pregnant with Sam. I am a month "behind" where I was when I was pregnant with him, so it is an interesting mental and memory exercise to try to compare what life was like three years and one month ago to what is going on right now with this pregnancy and my body. We are almost at the halfway point in this pregnancy, and hour by hour I can't...