22 weeks

Almost 22 weeks now and only 2 more to go until goal #1! I had a great appointment on Monday and everything looks wonderful. My SCH is barely still there but my doctor officially said it is no longer a concern. He did say that I have an increased risk or Pprom (preterm premature rupture of membranes) for the rest of my pregnancy, but I already knew that. He also said it's not something to worry about though because it will either happen or it won't and there is nothing we can do to prevent it. My cervix also looked great, once again. It was over 5cm and with pressure it was in the high 4's. This is really crazy to me. When you have incompetent cervix, it doesn't just go away. In fact, your cervix can actually get weaker after each pregnancy. If I get through this pregnancy with no cervical concerns, I will never need a cerclage again and I will officially be healed. Hallelujah!

Baby is still measuring big and at just a few days over 21 weeks was already measuring 1lb 2oz, which is definitely on the large size. I think we're making another big baby! We are still not finding out the sex but I definitely have a feeling. A week or so ago I had a dream that I delivered a healthy, full term little girl. :) This is definitely starting to feel more real and I'm feeling just a tad excited. I made a rule of no purchases until 28 weeks though, so I can't wait for that. My most exciting news is that, as long as nothing changes, I am off ALL restrictions at 28 weeks! No bedrest, no pelvic rest...woo hoo! Of course I will absolutely be taking it easy and probably won't really exercise but I am SO looking forward to being a normal pregnant woman!

I have been looking back at what I wrote when pregnant with Benjamin and am so glad I talked about all of my symptoms. I've been having braxton hicks already for weeks and remembering that it was normal for me is helping. The baby has also been kicking like crazy for weeks now, which I love. This little one apparently has normal sleep cycles and is lazy in the morning/afternoon and more active in the evening, unlike Benjmain, who moved and kicked me nonstop! Another thing that is so different this time is my weight gain. I know I am starting a lot lighter than I did last time but I have gained an insane amount already! I only gained around 25 or so last time and I am already up almost 20 lbs. Eeek!

20 weeks

So I finally hit 20 weeks. Only 4 more weeks until my first milestone and boy is it going by slow! I had my next scheduled appointment this Friday and was trying to go a two full weeks between appointments but I didn't quite make it. I knew these next few weeks would be difficult because I'm creeping up on my loss times with the girls but add in more shooting pains and some Braxton Hicks and I headed in today to get checked out. They say these things start coming on earlier with each pregnancy but really? 20 weeks is a little too early for my comfort! The great news is that my cervix looks fantastic. :) It is long and closed and measured 4.8cm. That definitely makes me feel a TON better coming into these weeks. 24 weeks is just within my reach and I'm praying for peace to get me through it.

Halfway There!

So we are halfway there! I'm actually only 19 weeks but with Benjamin being born at 38 weeks, that means I'm halfway. :) So we had our anatomy scan yesterday and it went amazingly well. We got some great picks of our sweet baby and it looks perfect and healthy, which is all I wanted to hear. My hematoma has also shrunk a bit more and is now only 3.5cmx1.5cm, which is great news and I haven't had any more bleeding in weeks. The best news is that my cervix was measuring over 5cm! The normal cervical length at this point in pregnancy is 4-5cm and I'm even beyond that, so I am thrilled. I know things can change very quickly with incompetent cervix but that is a crazy long cervix so I'm confident that if it started to shorten at this point, we would be able to catch it in time. Over the last two weeks I started feeling some Braxton Hicks and started getting those stabbing pains in my vagina/cervix. If you've been pregnant, you know what I'm talking about. With Benjamin, I dubbed them the "vagina ninjas". Now I know they're normal but feeling those and not having a cerclage gave me a bit of anxiety. I didn't start to feel any of those until way later in the pregnancy last time but I guess they can happen earlier and earlier with each pregnancy. I am very thankful for the prayers this last week because they helped tremendously with my fear. We also stayed strong and didn't find out the gender! I don't know if I'll be able to hold out the entire pregnancy since we have so many ultrasounds, but we're going to try. I'm just so thankful that I'm still pregnanct and I'm bursting with joy that we get to be a part of this miracle. I know God chose us for this and I can't wait to tell our son or daughter how very special they are.

Just saying hi!

  

         Fold up like a burrito with the toes over the head!

Benjamin wanted to be a part of my belly picture. :)