Hard to believe it, but we are HALF WAY there!!!
I'm definitely bigger this time around than I was with Carson, even though this picture doesn't really look like it. I got called out [about being pregnant] by a complete stranger 3 weeks ago in a McDonald's bathroom in Galveston. That was at about 18 weeks. I've been called out several times since. With Carson, I was 22 weeks before anyone said anything.
I'm definitely feeling Little Miss moving quite a bit. Occasionally you can see the movement from the outside, but I haven't tried to see if Andrew can feel anything yet.
Cravings-wise, it's pretty similar to the first time around....Carbs, fruit juice, and ice cream.
I'm already having to pee all the time and sleeping on my back is no longer that comfortable, which is a good thing, since I'm not supposed to be doing that any more anyways. The same goes with lifting Carson. It's not that hard to just hold him, but trying to swing him up in the carseat or on the changing table (which is thankfully, not THAT often), is becoming increasingly difficult or uncomfortable. He's somewhere between 35-40 pounds, so I try to keep the lifting to a minimum for sure.
Terrible bathroom selfie....
I had, in general, been feeling pretty good, until this happened.....
Lately, I've been having lightheaded spells. I had one on Wednesday while at work in Houston that led to me passing out in a cubicle and my first ambulance ride to the ER. I didn't fall, I felt it coming on and was able to lay down, but it was the worst one I've had in a long time. It was Deloitte and building "protocol" for me to go to the hospital, or at a minimum, get checked out by paramedics. They take things pretty seriously if anything happens in the building (liability issues), but even more seriously if you are pregnant. As reluctant as I was to go, I know it was for the best.
My system has always been pretty sensitive, and I've passed out (apparently "syncope" is the official term) or nearly passed out ("near-syncope") several times (when I wasn't pregnant). Pretty much every time it had ever happened before, I had forgotten to eat and then ran around or worked out or something. I LOVE to eat, but occasionally, would just get busy and not eat anything for several hours. Andrew makes fun of me sometimes that I eat ALL the time, but I'm not one who can miss meals without it messing up my system. I really do have to eat multiple small meals a day versus 3 big meals.
Anyways, the reason this one was a little scarier was because it was the 3rd time in 2 days that I had been lightheaded to the point I had to sit or lay down. I didn't pass out the other two, but it certainly seemed to be a recurring thing. I was at Office Depot the day before and as I was paying, started to feel weak and lightheaded. I grabbed a Gatorade out of the drink fridge near the check-out and sat on the floor. I never 'saw black', but it took 5-10 minutes to feel okay enough to stand up. Wednesday morning, I think I may have just gotten up from the table too fast. That episode was very short-lived.
When the medics took my blood sugar at the office, it was 74, which isn't that low, but even Andrew said he starts to feel a little off if his blood sugar is in the 70s. They ran a bunch of tests at the hospital and everything seemed to check out. My papers indicated "Unknown" as the cause of the syncope. It was likely due to a drop in blood sugar. They do want me to see a cardiologist to rule out any kind of arrhythmia. They did an EKG and everything looked okay, so it's just a precautionary measure. I have an appointment with my OB/GYN next week, so I'm sure we'll talk about it all in more detail then. They requested all my records from the hospital prior to my appointment. They didn't seem terribly concerned, but certainly want to follow-up.
Of course, they wanted to check the baby at the hospital, so I ended up getting a full, detailed ultrasound. During the ultrasound, as they were measuring the leg bones, they asked me if my husband was tall. Apparently, they can tell she already has long legs. I was 19w 6d when I went in, but she was measuring over a week ahead. This sounds familiar.... Carson always measured at least a week ahead. One AWESOME part of the ultrasound was that we learned that we did not have SUA (single-umbilical artery) this time!! Carson had SUA, which technically made that pregnancy "high risk". I still remember how terrifying it was for them to call you after the detailed 20-week ultrasound and tell you they found something 'abnormal.' If you made the mistake I did of Googling "SUA" or "single-umbilical artery", you get all kinds of terrifying information. Fortunately, everything turned out just fine, but it was a relief to know that this wasn't something we were going to have to face again. Little Miss was moving all over the place... I was REALLY hoping for a slightly LESS active child this time around... haha! :-) Her heart rate was 139.
So, minus this recent bout of lightheadedness and weakness, I've been feeling pretty good. It's hard to believe I still/only have 4 months to go. The "Still" part... Part of me already feels so big and can't imagine getting as big as I was with Carson again. (It's crazy how much you can stretch!). The "Only" part.... holy moly, we haven't done ANYTHING. No name. Haven't started the nursery. Haven't done as much of the transitioning training at work that I know NEEDS to be done. Haven't cleared out any of the boy stuff that I said I would do as soon as I knew it wasn't needed. I know 4 months is still a long time, but the next month is pretty much booked. My brother is getting married. Andrew is pretty much MIA during September because of work. October includes a good friend's wedding (that Andrew is in) & engagement party for Andrew's sister. So.... looks like we're going to have to MAKE time somewhere! Thanksgiving (and Little Miss!) will be here before we know it!
