I wrote this a week before I had the baby on a long and hard day. But I still wanted to post it.
It's funny how you think, I've done this, I can do this again. This is familiar territory. But what "they" say is true. Each pregnancy is soooo different! I feel more tired this time but I also think it's because I don't get to come home and crash, I get to come home or be at home and chase after a busy 2 year old! :) I'm lucky and don't get very sick. My trigger has always been brushing my teeth but I rarely threw up with either.
baby #1: I worked five days past my due date, FULL TIME! In fact, I was at work when they called me to schedule my induction.
baby #2: I took my last on call day two weeks ago. It was too hard on EVERYBODY! I would come home from work and be so exhausted that I couldn't relieve Grandma or Daddy from M-sitting which is no fair for them either!
baby #1: I swear I was more comfortable! I'm sure my memory has faded and I do remember being miserable the last weeks.
baby #2: I have been uncomfortable for MONTHS! I'm five pounds heavier this time-that can't make that much of a difference, can it? I feel like someone's trying to rip my pelvic bones in two directions. I can't sit for long but my feet swell if I'm on my feet too much!
baby #1: I was so worried about slipping and falling on the ice and hurting the baby! I tiptoed around the Minnesota ice and snow!
baby #2: It's soooooooo dang HOT!!!!!!!!! The maternity clothes that I loved because they were so comfy last time are my enemy with their constricting bands that only make you hotter!
baby #1: I had the flu and several colds at the beginning but otherwise felt like my immune system was so strong! I used to get lots of colds though when I was working with kids!
baby #2: I have the annoying crap: continuous stuffy nose-I've never blown my nose so much! And I've been on reflux meds since the beginning or I wake up in the night with bad reflux symptoms!
baby #1: M had irregular growth that caused a lot of worry and heartache-ask me about her pinkies sometime! :)
baby #2: M left behind blood alleles that I'm allergic to so I developed anti-bodies in me that could possibly attack this little one so I have to have my "titres" checked every month to make sure her blood is safe!
baby #1: I felt her kick at 21 weeks.
baby #2: I swear I felt her kick at 16-17 weeks. The flutters I didn't recognize the first time around as kicks soooo were kicks!
baby #1: kicked me in the ribs and back
baby #2: kicks me in the bladder! that was a new one and not a fun one! I didn't know how much that could hurt!
baby #1: was most active late at night, when I'd stretch out on my bed flat and relaxed. She LOVED when I would do voice therapy. There's a lot of singing and chanting involved and she LOVED that. She would start kicking like crazy! She also loved juice and water! At my weekly non-stress tests, they would give me juice or water to get her moving and, boy, did it work! In fact, they stopped giving it to me because it would get her too active to track her heartrate and movements!
baby #2: She is active ALL THE TIME!!! She is going to be a gymnast or dancer or something, I swear! She is always moving and making my stomach do the hula! We saw fireworks on Pioneer Day and she would jump whenever there was a big one! :)
baby #1: no Asian food! none! "I had a bad experience!"
baby #2: some Asian food is okay but the more "Americanized" the better. I can't handle anything too authentic! :)
baby #1: salty food was all I wanted!
baby #2: It's all about the sugar this time! It's flip flopped a bit back and forth but in general, chocolate and ice cream are my friends this time!
baby #1: I had so many ultrasounds, I felt like I knew what she was going to look like and she did! She looked just as I imagined her with lots of hair and the shape of her face. I recognized my friend who had kept me company for so many months.
baby #2: I'm soooo excited to see what she looks like! It feels like such a mystery when I seriously felt like I KNEW what M looked like! I would love for her to have W's hazel brown-speckled eyes!
I love being pregnant. I love having this friend inside of me that no one really knows yet except for me. I love that bond. I'm trying to remind myself of that today when I'm very up and down emotionally frustrated that I'm still pregnant but trying to be patient!
