Posts Tagged ‘pregnancy’

Pregnancy Update Week #36

Sunday, June 9th, 2013

How far along? I am 36.5 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss? Still gaining weight, but it is slowing down!

Stretch marks? Still none, although I am not sure how much more my belly can stretch out!

Best Moment this week? We have started getting in some of the pennants we asked close friends and family to create for the kids room.  Once we get them all in I will make into a banner to hang up!  Here are a couple of them that we have received!

brakes, Letter Q, R, Feast of Sacred Heart, Wk 36 090

Movement?  The movement is starting to slow down some, although baby still moves like crazy at different times during the day.

Food Cravings:  No major cravings, just food in general!  I feel like I eat all day!  I have also been eating a bowl of cereal just before bed almost every night.

Gender? We had another ultrasound at our last appointment and we are happy to say that Baby Kickert was not shy this time around!  According to what we saw this time we are definitely having a boy!  Although if I am being honest, I am not holding my breath and waiting until delivery to have a definitive answer!

Labor Signs?  The Braxton Hicks contractions are apparent everyday, but nothing to be concerned about yet.

Belly Button in or Out?  I would say I am definitely an outie!  Mikayla actually looked at my belly button the other day and said there wasn’t a hole there anymore!

What I miss.   Wearing my wedding band.  I had to remove my rings this past week due to swelling.  The day starts off okay, but by afternoon my fingers are so swollen I can hardly remove them.  I figure better safe than sorry so I have removed them for the time being.

What I am looking forward to.  I think like most women at this point in pregnancy, I am most looking forward to holding our baby for the first time (and not being so huge anymore!).

Weekly wisdom:  Even though I am tired at the end of the day, I still have to reserve energy to be mommy to Mikayla.  This is tough, but she shouldn’t suffer just because I am pregnant with another child!

Milestones:  The only milestone I can think of is that my maternity clothes are starting to feel a little snug!  To me that is how I can tell the end is getting closer!

Here are two belly shots for comparison.  This is me at 36 weeks for both pregnancies.  Picture one is the current baby (I just got out of the shower, so please ignore the wet hair style) and picture two is with Mikayla.

brakes, Letter Q, R, Feast of Sacred Heart, Wk 36 094   Reading day, week 36 053

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Pregnancy Update Week #32

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

How far along? I am 32 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss? Let’s just leave it as weight gain.  Haven’t stepped on the scale lately!

Stretch marks? Still none, keeping our fingers crossed.

Best Moment this week? Mikayla has decided that she is ready to share her room and has spent the last week "preparing" for the baby.  She has cleared off a shelf in her closet for the babies clothes and even made a pallet on the floor with a blanket and "crib" (her stool turned upside down)!  Then just last night she was sitting really still and I could tell she was thinking.  I asked her what she was thinking about and she said, "I’m just thinking about what the baby could wear when it comes home from the hospital".  She is going to be a really great big sister!  Just look how excited she is in this next picture!

Week 32 pregnancy 001

Movement?  Moving like crazy.  Still really low and on the right side of my belly.  I almost never feel movement above the belly button or on the left side.  It is really strange!  Mikayla moved all over the place, but this baby is content sticking to one side!  

Food Cravings:  Nothing major, just sweets mostly.  I crave something sugary after every meal!

Gender? Still unsure, but we head back to the doctor this week.  We are hoping for some news in an ultrasound that will be more definitive!

Labor Signs?  Last week was a busy week for me and I was on my feet and moving a lot more than usual.  There were a couple of nights that I had a couple of contractions, but since then nothing.

Belly Button in or Out?  In, but just barely!

What I miss.   I miss being able to easily get down on the floor and play with Mikayla (and I think she misses it too).  I am just not as mobile as I was a few months ago!!

What I am looking forward to.  A trip to South Africa this weekend to pick up some baby items.  We have made a list of all the essentials we need and are hoping to pick them up there.

Weekly wisdom:  There is nothing wrong with sitting down and putting your feet up when you are 32 weeks pregnant.  Everyone will understand and will probably even encourage you to do the same!  Also, pillows are a girls best friend when pregnant, just ask Ben!

Milestones:  Since I last updated I entered the world of pillows.  I purchased a few extra ones to help keep me comfortable at night time and it has made all the difference.  I now sleep with three pillows – one between the legs, one under the belly and then one for my head!

Here are two belly shots for comparison.  This is me at 32 weeks for both pregnancies.  Picture one is the current baby and picture two is with Mikayla.

Week 32 pregnancy 005

Week 32 and birthday flowers 015

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Pregnancy Update Week #28

Monday, April 15th, 2013

How far along? I am 28 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss? I have gained an appropriate amount! 😉

Stretch marks? So far so good!

Best Moment this week? Mikayla asking if she can snuggle up to the baby and love on it!  She climbed up beside me and nuzzled her head against my belly.  She will also randomly come over and rub on my belly which I think is sweet!

Movement? Seriously, we have a mover and a shaker in there!  The other day I told Ben it looked like I had an alien in my belly because the baby was being so active.   

Food Cravings:  Nothing really, just food in general.  I feel like I have been eating non-stop for the last week or so.

Gender? Yeah, about that…We had another ultrasound done at our appointment last week and the distinguishing characteristics for a boy were no longer visible, rather we saw girl features!  Based on what we saw yesterday, it looks like it probably is a girl.  Since the first also looked definitive we will wait until our next scan before we “know” one way or the other!

Labor Signs?  Nothing really, a few BH off an on.

Belly Button in or Out?  We are getting dangerously close to an outie folks!

What I miss.  This week in particular I missed my bathtub!  We only have a stand up shower here, but I have been longing for a nice bath!  Not really directly pregnancy related, but something worth noting!

What I am looking forward to.  Eesh, there is so much to look forward to!  Sleeping soundly at night (ha!  how long will that be?), snuggling this new baby, not peeing so frequently, etc…

Weekly wisdom:  Technology is never fool proof and neither are ultrasounds!

Milestones:  We crossed over into the third trimester which is exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time!  We have a lot to do to prepare for this baby, and limited amount of time to do it in.  I suppose every future parent feels this apprehension though.

We had our monthly check up on Wednesday and all is healthy with the baby.  It is growing nicely and right on target for our July 4 due date.  The ultrasound reveal was a bit shocking for us, but we are taking it in stride!  Now we will just have to pick out a girl’s name in addition to a boy’s!

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Pregnancy Update Week #25

Monday, March 25th, 2013

I have been meaning to do another update for some time now, but have been so busy with Ben’s parents I haven’t had the chance.  So here is my update for our 25th week!

How far along? I am 25.5 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss? I have no idea.  I can’t honestly remember where I was when I started.  Haven’t had the desire to climb aboard the scale lately either!

Stretch marks? None that I can see!

Best Moment this week? One evening, the baby was particularly excited and moving around a lot.  Mikayla got to not only feel him kick for the first time, but we were all able to see him moving from the outside.  Forgot how cool that was.  She was very excited!

Movement? Still moving like crazy, especially first thing in the morning and just before bed at night.   

Food Cravings:  No major cravings these past few weeks.

Gender? A baby boy, still deciding on a final name!

Labor Signs?  After three days of hiking last week I felt some mild Braxton Hicks contractions, but I am sure that was from fatigue more than anything.  After that day I haven’t felt any.

Belly Button in or Out?  In, but slowly working its way out.  I would say by the time baby Kickert #2 arrives it will be a full outie!

What I miss.  I miss being able to move freely without the belly getting in the way!  I sometimes forget it is there and bump into random things!

What I am looking forward to.  I am looking forward to getting some baby stuff together.  We got our first outfits thanks to some family from the states when Ben’s parents came over.  Ben is getting me a rocking chair for my birthday, we just have to find one in Swaziland now!

Weekly wisdom:  Just because you could do something with no problem before you were pregnant doesn’t mean you can (or should) while you are pregnant.  We spent three of the first few days of Ben’s parents visit hiking.  By the third day my body was through and extremely tired, and was not shy in telling me so!! 

Milestones:  I am definitely wearing maternity clothing now, no doubt about it!  Tried to put on some regular pants last week and was far from getting them to button!

And here are two belly shots for you.  Both were taken yesterday, one is just a little more flattering, but the other is a better belly shot!

St. Lucia and Pig Roast 088

St. Lucia and Pig Roast 090

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Pregnancy Update Week #22

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

 I missed a couple of weeks, but here is my update for Week #22!  Over halfway there!

How far along? I am 22 weeks today.

Total weight gain/loss? I haven’t actually been on the scale lately, but I would guess I have gained a total of 2-4 pounds.

Stretch marks? Still no stretch marks!

Best Moment this week? Wasn’t really this week, but definitely finding out the gender was a "best moment" since my last update.  We didn’t find out the gender with Mikayla, but chose to for several reasons this time.  The staff at the hostel are all very excited we are having a boy!  Their reactions have been priceless.

Movement? Baby K is moving like crazy.  Ben has been able to feel him on several occasions, but Mikayla has yet to feel him.  She is not very patient when waiting for his movement! 

Food Cravings:  For the first time in either of my pregnancies I have started craving sweet things.  With Mikayla I never did and up until this point I have only been wanting savory things.  This week though that has all changed!  I have eaten my fair share of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans and Sour Patch kids this week!  Bring on the Funfetti cake for my birthday!!

Gender? We found out on Valentine’s Day that we will be having a boy this time around!  He was definitely not shy in hiding his gender!

Ultrasound, Jana and Liv visit 075

Labor Signs?  So far so good, no labor signs!

Belly Button in or Out?  In.

What I miss.  I miss my energy.  I know they say you are supposed to have a lot more energy in your second trimester, but I am finding I tire out easier than normal.  For example, when Ben’s cousin was in town, we did some hiking and I was exhausted by the end of the day.

What I am looking forward to.  I am looking forward to starting to get together some baby items, so far we have nothing!  When we moved we got rid of all our baby stuff so we will be starting over from scratch.  I am also looking forward to finalizing a name, especially now that we know the gender.

Weekly wisdom:  Know when to push yourself and know when to say enough is enough and take a break.  It is better to sit out on something than to completely exhaust yourself.

Milestones:  I started wearing a few maternity things in the past week (Thanks Chel for letting me borrow them and thanks Jana for transporting them all the way to Africa!).  I can still wear some pre-pregnancy clothes, but for the most part pants are no longer fitting.

Ultrasound, Jana and Liv visit 229

Not quite a baby bump picture, but you can get the idea.  It is hard to remember to take those!!

BTW – At our last appointment we got the green light on a healthy pregnancy.  Everything looked great, baby is growing nicely and the doctor said he had no reservations about us delivering problem free in Swaziland!  So, assuming nothing changes in the next few months, we will be delivering in Swaziland and not South Africa!  This was a huge moment for us because we really wanted to be able to deliver in Swaziland.  Now if I can just get my mind wrapped around an epidural free delivery…

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This Week’s Happenings (February)

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

I know it is more than a week, but I realized last night that I hadn’t done an update for the last month.  We have been busy with work and visitors for the last month.  Here are a couple of highlights.

  1. I turned 30!
  2. We had our first Swaziland visitors.  Ben’s cousin, Jana, and her friend, Liv, came to visit.  During their visit we did a lot of the "touristy" things.  Like visiting Kruger Game park for the day, hiking/driving around Blyde River Canyon, hiking Execution Rock in Swaziland and hitting up all the "handicraft shops" in Swaziland.  We had a busy two weekends with them, but it was great to host our first visitors.  Mikayla really enjoyed the visited and ate up all the attention they gave her. execution Rock 167
  3.  I got bit by something in between my toes and ended up limping around for about a week.  I am much better now, but had to sit out some of our activities with Jana and Liv.
  4. On Valentine’s Day not only did we eat at McDonalds for dinner, but we also found out that we would be having a baby boy in July.  We all thought it was a girl, so it was a little of a shock.  Mikayla was disappointed at first because she thought it was a girl and had a name all picked out (Chrysanthemum), but has since embraced the idea of having a baby brother.  We are now in full debate as to what the name should be.  Ben and I just can’t seem to agree! Ultrasound, Jana and Liv visit 091
  5. Our house got struck by lightening and messed up our TV and satellite.  Not a huge deal, but something noteworthy.  In the meantime, Ben has set up the projector to project on our wall so we can watch movies from the computer. 
  6. Speaking of movies, Mikayla finally saved up enough money to buy Brave.  She had been saving for several months (earning coins by doing chores, eating at the table, etc.).  We had a Brave debut with Joe and some other volunteers while we ate burgers one afternoon.  She was so cute and excited about the whole thing.  She has now decided she wants to earn coins to buy Toy Story 2.  Wonder how long it will take her to earn it this time?
  7. I have been exchanging pregnancy notes with my dear friend Catherine who found out she was expecting too!  When I was pregnant with Mikayla she found out at the end of my pregnancy that she was pregnant (although I didn’t find out until after Mikayla was born).  It is fun to share pregnancies with close friends both times around! 

We have a busy March ahead and I don’t expect to blog much in the next bit.  Ben leaves for Ethiopia for a week on Saturday and then when he gets back (the following Saturday) we have a day before we go pick up his parents for their visit.  They will be here until the end of March, so we once again have a lot of traveling scheduled and down time at home.  Should be another fun, busy month!

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The Much Anticipated Belly Shot

Monday, January 28th, 2013

Here is the prego belly at 17 weeks.  I feel like it is much bigger this go round than it was with Mikayla, but that is okay!

Belly week 17 002

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Pregnancy Update Week #17

Monday, January 28th, 2013

The childcare staff is getting really excited about the upcoming arrival of Baby Kickert #2.  They are most excited because this baby, unlike Mikayla (although they love her), will be Swazi and therefore one of them!  They are all making gender predictions and offering up name suggestions.  I love that they are getting involved because traditionally pregnancy is not something really celebrated here.  They don’t name the baby before it is born, fathers aren’t super involved in the pregnancy, and in some cases the father has nothing to do with the child for the first few months.  So many babies are lost early on that they don’t want to connect to the baby in the womb.  So that makes it even more exciting that they are asking questions and getting involved with us.

I gave a belated Week #16 update here, but hopefully the rest will be more timely.  On Thursday we reached 17 weeks in our pregnancy.  Not a lot new has happened in the last week, but here is an update nonetheless. 

How far along? I am currently 17 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss? This is hard to measure since our scale is in kilograms, but I think I am still even.  If I have gained anything it is less than half a pound. 

Stretch marks? Fortunately, no stretch marks!

Best Moment this week? The Swazi’s getting super into our pregnancy and offering up name suggestions.

Movement? I was actually able to feel the baby for the first time from the outside yesterday.  It wasn’t a really strong movement, and seems super early in the game, but I felt it!  Just once though and it hasn’t happened again. 

Food Cravings:  Eggs!  This week I have eaten at least one or two a day!  Mmm good!

Gender? No clue yet.  Mikayla is still convinced it is a girl, but the hostel staff thinks it is a boy!

Labor Signs?  I sure hope not!

Belly Button in or Out?  In.

What I miss.  I am still missing my regular cup of coffee, but other than that not much else new this week.

What I am looking forward to.  Still looking forward to our ultrasound in a few weeks.

Weekly wisdom:  Toddlers love touching the baby bump, but aren’t always the most carefully when doing so and should be watched closely!  I suppose the same is true with toddlers and infants too!

Milestones:  Like I mentioned previously, I felt the baby move for the first time this week from the outside.  I forgot how cool of a feeling this was!

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Pregnancy Update Week #16

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

A few weeks ago we announced that we were expecting Baby Kickert #2, you can read about it here.  Almost a month has gone by and I have been to tired and/or sick and/or busy with life to give a blog update.  I decided I needed a format to follow each week so I would be able to update all our friends and family about this baby.

When my friend Catherine was pregnant, she did a weekly update following a specific questionnaire.  I thought it was really fun, but had forgotten about it until just recently.  So, better late than never, I am going to attempt to start a weekly update about my pregnancy.

How far along? I am currently 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? So far I have not gained any weight.  I was really sick for the first trimester and am still feeling the effects of it (getting sick at least once a day still).  Unfortunately/fortunately our scale is in kilograms, so it makes weight gain seem even less!

Stretch marks? No stretch marks yet, but I am diligently applying cocoa butter lotion daily.  I was fortunate with Mikayla to not have any stretch marks so we are hoping for the same this go around.

Best Moment this week? Mikayla laying on the bed next to me and asking to look at the baby.  She leaned over and kissed my belly and started talking to it.  So sweet!

Movement? No real movement yet.  I have felt some stirrings that could be "quickening", but might be nothing!

Food Cravings:  I have had definite aversions to sweet things (so sad!).  I have however, had huge cravings for salty things.  Specifically, Lay’s plain potato chips!  The other night I had a craving for super buttery and salty popcorn.

Gender? No clue yet.  Mikayla thinks it is a girl.

Labor Signs?  I sure hope not!

Belly Button in or Out?  In.

What I miss.  I miss drinking multiple cups of coffee a day.  I am trying to limit myself to one cup and even that is half regular, half decaf!  Just not the same.

What I am looking forward to.  Finding out the gender on February 14!  We didn’t find out with Mikayla, but for multiple reasons are choosing to this go round.

Weekly wisdom:  Prenatal yoga is a lot more relaxing and enjoyable without a toddler "stretching" next to you, even if you have to get up earlier than you would like!

Milestones:  Thanks to my dear friend Catherine, I started Prenatal Yoga (Ben and Mikayla refer to it as Baby Yoga though).  I start each day with the DVD she sent and am hoping it will help with our epidural free labor!

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