35 Weeks and Two Days

35 weeks and two days...it was at this point during my last pregnancy that I unexpectedly went into labor with Lucas. The fear of another early delivery and extended stay in the hospital NICU has been on my mind all week...actually, it has been on my mind for the last eight months, prompting more than one delivery dream in the last few weeks. Fortunately, in these dreams the birthing process is pain-free. Why can't labor and delivery really be that way??? Needless to say, I have been anxious about making it to this point in this pregnancy and even better, making it full term (knock on wood). So far, things are looking good, and I'm guessing we will make it to at least week 36 with this babe.

The approaching birth has also caused me to reflect on our life with Lucas. Don't get me wrong...I'm very excited for our little arrival, but part of me is sad that Lucas will no longer be the only little love of our lives. Our family dynamic is going to change, and the unknown is scary. There is no doubt in my mind Lucas is going to be a wonderful, big brother. With his gentle nature, playful, curious and cuddly personality, it won't be long before this little babe is looking at him with the same love and delight as Leo and I do. In the meantime, I'm appreciating each special moment I have with my little boy over the next few weeks (even those rare moments that can only be described by the word tantrum). It shouldn't be too hard to do since I dote on every little thing this guy does.

Baby Update

With just over eight weeks to go, I'm still feeling pretty good these days, although definitely moving a bit slower. Leo has been a trooper, spending extra time with Lucas in the evenings, especially on those days when I am having contractions. I had a fetal fibronectin test at my Doctor appointment on Tuesday, and it came back negative...big sigh of relief. There is very little chance I will be delivering this babe within the next two weeks. I will continue to have these tests until I reach week 36 and am keeping my fingers crossed that I continue to test negative.

Baby continues to be very active, and his / her heartbeat sounded strong at 150 beats / minute. My sister and her husband found out they are having a baby girl this week, which I am very excited about! And while I continue to believe we will be adding another little boy to our family, this news made me ponder the girl name we had chosen...and ponder and ponder. And before Leo knew what was happening, we were back to the drawing board with our girl names. We've now narrowed our choices down to a couple of favorites unless someone (most likely me) decides to change her mind again! I' m not going to lie...this name business has not been an easy task.

Signs

There are definitely signs that I have entered the third trimester of this pregnancy and am getting closer to the end of this 40-week (hopefully) adventure. In the last few weeks, I have been experiencing:

- lots of baby movement
- shortness of breath (also due to the fact that I have not exercised for an embarrassingly large number of months)
- a wedding ring that no longer fits!
- the start of swollen feet
- daily Braxton Hicks contractions (a little alarming since Lucas was five weeks early)

At my next Dr. appointment, I am going to have a fetal fibronectin test, which can indicate preterm labor. A negative result on the test means it's highly unlikely that birth will happen in the next week or two. A positive result is more difficult to read because it means there is a higher risk of giving birth early, but it doesn't guarantee an early delivery. Lets hope for a negative test result!

I do find myself getting more and more excited to meet this little one, but I wouldn't mind being able to slow time down just a little bit. The weeks seem to be passing by in a crazy blur, and there is still a lot to accomplish on my "to-do" list!

Could it be a boy?

We had our 20-week (actually 21-week) OB appointment and ultrasound this past Tuesday. My mom accompanied us to the ultrasound because she wanted to get a sneak peak at the littlest Loxtercamp. It was a good appointment with baby tracking right along with our early July due date. Baby was very active for the appointment, which did not allow for good pictures. The technician managed to get a few shots, but it is really difficult to tell what is what (my mother was sure one of the appendages was a nose until I corrected her).

We did NOT find out baby's sex, although I now have a sneaking suspicion there is a little boy in my belly. The 10+ gender prediction tests I completed on-line last night would indicate otherwise (and we all know how accurate those are), but a few things the technician said make me think BOY! Girl or boy, we look forward to this little one joining our family in just over 4 months.

Baby continued to be very active for the remainder of the day, and Leo was even able to feel a few kicks on Tuesday night. Experiencing this much movement is new for me, and I wonder how all of this activity is going to feel as baby gets bigger and stronger!

20 Weeks

I'm already at the halfway mark with this pregnancy. The days, weeks and months seem to be passing by in a blur. Physically, I have felt so much better this time around. Yes, I did experience morning sickness, but it didn't compare to the sickness I experienced with Lucas. Exhaustion, however, is another story. I am still tired all of the time. But chasing an active 18-month old, repeatedly climbing up and doing the stairs, building towers, reading books and trying to satisfy an insatiable appetite (Lucas', not mine) are not activities conducive to rest and relaxation. On a fun note, I have already been feeling some movement with this baby. Lucas was pretty quiet in the womb (which tended to cause me a lot of worry and concern). We'll see if this little one makes more of a ruckus than he did.

We have an ultrasound next week to check in on baby's progress. I'm torn about finding out the sex. Part of me is impatient and wants to know whether a little boy or girl will be joining our family. Plus, Leo and I are having a terrible time agreeing on names. Think old-fashioned meets modern, and you will understand our dilemma. But I think a bigger part of me wants the element of surprise again come delivery day. My gut is telling me Lucas is going to have a little sister to dote over and protect. I guess time will tell...be it next week or another 20 weeks.

Preparation

One More Thing

I almost forgot to mention...