My Big Fat Belly - 38 Weeks

How I'm Feeling at 38 weeks: Anxious. Nervous. Tired. Ready. Really pregnant. Annoyed. Excited. Happy. Anxious!! Every feeling under the sun that can be associated with being 38 weeks pregnant really!! I'm so ready to have this baby in my arms and I'm trying really hard to be patient. Unfortunately, if you know me at all, you know that patience is not one of my greatest virtues. So, I'm taking it one day at a time and reminding myself over and over again that the longer she is inside my belly, the healthier she will be.
I've started having more BH contractions each day and they are longer and stronger, just not in any consistent pattern and they stop when I go to bed or rest. I've been trying to get out and walk a little every day but that isn't always possible with BR because she doesn't like to ride in the stroller for longer than 20 minutes. The pressure down there is so crazy painful sometimes, especially during a contraction. I feel like I spend the majority of my day in the bathroom because I'm constantly having to pee. It will be so nice when that sensation is gone after delivery.
So, really overall I'm still doing great. At my appointment on Thursday, I was still 1.5cm, almost 2cm. My belly is measuring 37.5 weeks so Savannah's growth has started to slow down which I'm hoping translates into, she'll be here very soon. My blood pressure is still wonderfully low and I haven't gained any weight in over 3 weeks now.

Baby Movements: Savannah is actually still very active at times. I thought by now she would have run out of room to do much moving. BUT for the past 3 mornings and sometimes during the day, she gets really ralled up and kicks, punches, squirms for a good 15 minutes which hurts and keeps me awake for a while. Chances are she is going to be an early riser once she's born. Oh Joy!

Baby's Size: Dr. S and I discussed Savannah's size on Thursday and we're both thinking she might be a little smaller than Brantley when she is born. I feel like I was bigger with BR and since SC's growth has slowed down I'm not sure she'll make it to 7lbs 10oz by next Saturday, but really we don't know.

Belly Pic of the week:

I'll be back Friday for my 39 weeks belly post or sooner if Savannah decides to make her arrival before then. I hope everyone has a good week! Please keep us in your prayers! Thanks!!

My Big Fat Belly - 37 Weeks

How I'm Feeling at 37 weeks: Thankfully, I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm sleeping decent for being over 9 months pregnant, so that's a plus. I haven't been feeling very many Braxton Hick's contractions over the past week or so. My only complaint/pain that I'm experiencing now is menstral-like cramping and groin pains. They are like really bad period cramps that don't stop for an hour or so (sometimes they just come and go). The groin pain just about brings me to my knees sometimes. It's like I get a cramp in my groin muscles when I walk so it just takes me out all of a sudden. I asked the doctor about it and she told me that it's just from hormones causing my pelvis to open up so that Savannah can drop down more. The pains led to me going in to my doctor's office to be checked on Tuesday afternoon but I wasn't in labor and I was still at 1.5 cm.

Doctors Appointment/Progress: I went to my 37 weeks appointment yesterday. Savannah and I are still doing really well. All the little measurements and tests they do looked great so there are no worries. Dr. S checked my cervix again just to see if anything had changed since Tuesday and I was still at a solid 1.5cm. I was totally expecting that since I haven't been feeling very many BH contractions. So that was that.

Kinda big news....There is an end in sight! Dr. S and I decided yesterday that if I haven't had Savannah on my own by 39 weeks, I will be induced on Saturday, May 19th!!!!! I'm so excited to say that in 2 weeks or less we will be holding our baby girl in our arms!!! So if I don't go into labor sometime in the next 2 weeks on my own Chase and I will be heading to the hospital bright and early that Saturday morning to be induced. EEEK! I'm so excited!!!

Baby's Size at 37 weeks:

Savannah is now about the size of a Watermelon and considered FULL TERM!! Yay!!

I forgot to have Dr. S guess how much she weighs at this appointment but I'm still going to guess that she is somewhere around 6-7lbs. I was looking back at my belly pictures from my pregnancy with BR and I think I may have been a little bigger at 37 weeks with her than I am at 37 weeks with Savannah. BR was born 7lb10oz at 39 weeks, so that's why I'm guessing that Savannah is more like 6lbs right now.

What I'm looking forward to: Going into labor sometime soon or at least being induced in 2 weeks. I'm so happy to know that there is a for sure end (I mean I know the date) that I will no longer be pregnant and I will get to see our sweet baby girls face. These next 2 weeks are going to test my patience so please pray with me that I can relax and just enjoy myself while we wait for Savannah's big debut. Thanks!

Belly pic at 37 weeks:

You can visit HERE to see my 37 week belly post during my pregnancy with Brantley Rae and compare my size if you'd like.

Okay I'll be back next week with 38 weeks belly post unless by some chance I deliver before then. Stay tuned!!

My Big Fat Belly - 36 Weeks (Photo Update)

How I'm feeling at 36 weeks: Still very pregnant but super excited after today's doctors appointment. I'll get to that in just a minute. Savannah has dropped so I'm breathing a little easier these days. Sleeping has gotten a little more difficult because my hips fall asleep around 2:30am, so I have to sit awake for an hour or so before I can get back in the bed. Dr. S suggested that I start taking Tylenol PM so that I can sleep better for the rest of this pregnancy.

Progress: I got really good news today! Are you ready.... I'm 1 1/2centimeters dilated and 50% effaced!! Yay!! I'm further along at 36 weeks with Savannah than I was at 36 weeks with BR. I'm so pumped and encouraged that maybe I won't be pregnant for another 4 more weeks. I'm really hoping that I will have her in the next 2 weeks but I guess that's really all up to Savannah. Savannah is for sure head down and pretty far down into my pelvis. Dr. S didn't say what station she was but she did say she was really far down so that's good. Also, that explains the pressure I've been feeling down there. I didn't have an ultrasound today since we are certain that Savannah is head down. She may guess her weight next week if I'm still preggo at that point.
Dr. S did say that she thinks I will deliver before 39 weeks because I've progressed sooner with SC than I did with BR and I had BR at 39 weeks. We'll See!!

Baby's Size at 36 Weeks:

I'm not sure where in those ranges she is on length and weight but I'm still measuring right on track so I guess she might be somewhere in the middle.

Belly Pic:

Let me explain the middle picture... I'm pushing down on my stomach to show how much she has dropped.

Please pray with us that sometime within the next few weeks I deliver a healthy baby girl. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Also, if you haven't already done so make sure to cast your vote for when you think Savannah will be born. Just for fun!!

My Big Fat Belly - 35 Weeks

How I'm Feeling at 35 weeks: I'm feeling pretty good considering how pregnant I am. I'm really looking forward to my appointment this week because Dr. S is going to check Savannah's size and position via ultrasound. I think she's head down but possibly sunny-side up (facing out).
I've been having some interesting symptoms this week of my body gearing up for labor. Wednesday I was very nauseated pretty much all day and then by that afternoon my back and thighs started aching pretty bad and made me worried about preterm labor, but since I wasn't having any contractions, I figured we were okay. I have also feeling little one pushing on my bladder/cervix so maybe she's getting things thinned out. I'll find that out on Thursday at my doctors appointment as well.
Oh and I've been feeling more Braxton Hick's contractions this week. My body is getting ready for baby girls big arrival finally.

Baby's Size at 35 Weeks:

Savannah is now about the size of a butternut squash!!

- Savannah's hearing is now fully developed. She can respond to sound now and mostly, to high-pitched noises.

- She is almost full term and ready for her bid debut!! 2 more weeks!!

Belly Pic at 35 Weeks:

Doctors Appointment: I go to the doctor on Thursday afternoon so I'll update again on Friday. Thanks for thoughts and prayers as my pregnancy with Savannah starts nearing the end.

My Big Fat Belly - 34 Weeks

How I'm feeling at 34 weeks: VERY pregnant!! I'm not having any major pains but I'm pretty uncomfortable every moment of the day at this point. I know it's only going to get worse and that's probably the worst part. I'm SO ready to not be pregnant any longer and to hold Savannah in my arms instead of her being inside my belly. My hope and prayers are for her to make her arrival in about 4 weeks. I have heard from numerous people that second babies often come sooner than the first so that's what I'm hoping for. Savannah's birth would be a great Mother's Day gift this year. I would be 38w, 2d by then. I'll be ready!!

Savannah's position: Dr. S is pretty sure she is head down because she always hears her heartbeat on the Doppler below my belly button. I think she is still pivoting around though because sometimes I feel her back in front but then other times I feel arms and legs. At my next appointment in 2 weeks, Dr. S is going to make sure she is head down and whether she is sunny side up or not. I'm hoping she isn't because that would mean I'll be having a longer/harder delivery this time.

Movements: Savannah still moves around a good bit. She is mostly giving me kicks and punches these days because she has gotten too big to turn flips.

Baby's Size at 34 weeks:

-My guess is that she's probably is the middle of that range at about 5 pounds.
-At 34 weeks, the Savannah is now able to recognize simple songs that are sung over and over. I guess Savannah will be calmed by Brantley and I singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and  The Wheels on the Bus because we sing those a lot.
-She is also urinating about a pint a day. This one isn't so cute but my hope is that her bladder is working just as it should be.

Doctor's appointment: I had my 34 week check up with Dr. S on Thursday afternoon and we got a good report from her. My blood pressure was 126/68 which is really good and about where it is always. (In the past weeks it's been more like 120/60, but this weeks is still really good). My weight gain still looks good but the number is getting higher and higher and it's starting to freak me out, but I'll live. I'm measuring exactly 34cm/weeks so even though I look really huge and like I'm about ready to pop, Savannah's growth is right on track. 

My next appointment will be in 2 weeks (36 weeks). Dr. S will do my first pelvic exam to see if I have started to dilate or thin out. I will also have blood work done and such to gear but for delivery. 

I'm not really sure if I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions yet or not. If I have, I can't really feel them or I'm just not sure what I'm feeling. I'm hoping I start having them (and feeling them) in the next two weeks so my body can start practicing for delivery. We'll see!

Belly Pic of the week:

We finally hung Savannah's vinyl name decal a few weeks ago. The plan is to hang a canvas print of one of her newborn photos above it after she's born. I can't wait!

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting Savannah in a few weeks and not being pregnant anymore!!

My Big Fat Belly - 30 Weeks

How I'm feeling at 30 weeks: I thankfully don't have anything terrible to complain about this week. haha My hip/buttocks pain has mysteriously stopped for the most part over the past few days. Hallelujah! I'm guessing that this means my hips have stopped opening for now so the muscle in my behind isn't bothered right now. Other than that great news I'm feeling pretty good. It's getting increasingly harder to take deep breaths but that's just because munchkin is getting so big. I've had multiple people already tell me that I look like I'm about to pop and they don't see how I can go much longer. ha! Not what I really want to hear but I know it's true. My belly is getting pretty big but thankfully, I'm still all baby belly.

Baby's Size at 30 weeks:

 

Savannah is the length of a cucumber and weighs as much as a large head of cabbage!

• -She is probably closes to 3 pounds. I would love to have an ultrasound and find out her actual weight. I'm going to ask my Dr. if she will do another u/s around 36 weeks or so to check Savannah's position and size.
  -Her skin is getting smoother, but her brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue.
  -She's now strong enough to grasp a finger!
  -A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus.
•  
• This is a picture of what it probably looks like inside my belly at 30 weeks. Savannah is quickly running out or wiggle room in there. I'm hoping that she is in this head-down position but I really am not sure. I have this scary feeling that she is breach. 

Belly Pic of the week:

What I'm looking forward to: We really need to get working on finishing the nursery while I still feel like it. Also, some of my girlfriends are going to throw me a little baby sprinkle dinner next month so I'm excited about that as well. We haven't nailed down a date yet but I'm working on that part. 

Brantley and I also got invited back down to the beach with some of our sweet friends, so I can't wait to go back down there with Brantley and let the girls play for a few days in the sunshine and on the beach.

My Big Fat Belly - 13 weeks

How am I feeling: Thankfully, I'm feeling really great. I've started physical therapy for my shoulder injury and surprisingly it's already feeling SO much better. No more constant pain! I'm experiencing no pregnancy symptoms at all, actually, sometimes I forget that I'm pregnant. haha!

Maternity Clothes: I can still wear my regular jeans with a belly band but maternity jeans are much more comfortable so I wear them most of the time. I still wear my pre-preggo shirts because my belly hasn't gotten big enough to stick out the bottom of my shirts yet. haha!

Movement: The baby is moving like crazy but unfortunately I still can't feel the kicks and flips yet. I'm hoping I'll start feeling them in the next few weeks.

Baby's development at 13 weeks:

At 13 weeks, the baby is about the size of a peach! The baby is about 2.9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces, and -- proportion-wise -- his/her head's now about 1/3 the size of his/her body.

• Can you believe she's forming vocal cords and teeth?!
• And even though she's still teeny, she already has fingerprints.
• Her intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in her tummy. 

Doctor's appointments & What am I looking forward to: Let's see... I'm looking forward to feeling the baby move/kick. Also, I love hearing the baby's heart beat by Doppler at each appointment. My next appointment is December 8th (I'll be 16 weeks).

I'm bummed that we won't get to find out the gender of our little peach until after Christmas because my doctor wants me to be more than 18 weeks. I'll be 18 weeks on Christmas day so we have to wait until just after Christmas to find out for sure.

 

  When you read that your belly shows faster the second time around, they aren't kidding or at least in my case that is definitely the case. haha! I'm feeling great and the baby is growing perfectly.

Below is a picture of me when I was 13 weeks pregnant with Brantley Rae.

My Big Fat Belly - 11 Weeks

At 11 weeks, your fetus is about 1.6 inches long, and she's got about a 1:1 head to body ratio. She now weighs in at about .25 ounces.

• You can't see it, but she's moving fluidly and gracefully in there.
• Her skin is see-through, but she's on her way to looking more like a baby.
• Her fingers and toes aren't webbed anymore.
• Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are forming.

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On November 10th, I had my genetic screening ultrasound and blood work done. Both tests came back great, thank goodness! The baby was wiggling all around during the ultrasound, but I unfortunately can't feel the kicks yet.

The heart rate was 160bpm so that's still great. The baby is developing just as he/she should. I'm so happy to have gotten to see the baby and hear the heart beat again. Music to my ears!!

Note: Sorry I've been so bad about posting lately. I'm not really sure why I can't find the time to update but I'm really trying. I just always feel bad about it and then I just don't do it. Hopefully, I'll get better soon!! I'm hoping to post 13 weeks later this evening after dinner.

My Big Fat Belly - 8 weeks

How am I feeling this week (symptoms): I've been more tired this week and a little more yucky feeling at times, but thankfully no sickness. My major complaint is that I burp ALL the time pretty much. And I'm not talking about little blenches, I'm talking contest winning burps and I can't help it or do anything to make them stop. If anyone has suggestions on this matter please let me know. Thanks!

What am I looking forward to: Starting to look more pregnant than just fat. I'm at that in between stage where the belly isn't big enough to look like I'm pregnant, instead I just look like I have been kicking back LOTS of beers. Not attractive!!! I'm also ready for our next ultrasound and the next time I get to hear the heart beat. I should be able to hear the heart beat via Doppler at my next appointment on Halloween. Yay!!

The baby is the size of a Raspberry this week!

Now he/she weighs in at about .04 ounces and measures about .63 inches. This week, she's growing about a millimeter each day.

Baby's developments at 8 weeks:

• You can't feel it yet, but she's moving those arms and legs like crazy!
• Her fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed, and her tail is gone.
• Fun fact: your baby's taste buds are now forming.

Little Peanut is growing fast and right on track. We went to our first doctor's appointment on Friday morning and it went great. Peanut's heart rate was 169bpm and he/she measured 8 weeks 2 days. My doctor has set my due date at May 25th but she's pretty sure I'll deliver early since I delivered BR a week early and this is my second baby. Yay!! I would love to have the same delivery that I had with BR to happen again. It was super easy and I am truly thankful for that.

So now it's really real!! We've seen the baby and heard the heart beat. I've got a baby on board!!! My doctor said that the miscarriage rate at this point is only about 3 % so hopefully that will not happen to this sweet baby. Please pray with us that the baby continues to develop just as it should into a healthy bundle of joy!!

My Big Fat Belly - 6 weeks

How far along: 6 weeks, 2 days

Symptoms: So far I'm still feeling great. Every now and then I'll feel a bit queasy but it passes pretty fast as long as I snack on something and drink a little water or something sweet. The girls are a little sore and if it weren't for these two things (and the fact that I never got my period) I'd have no clue I was pregnant.

Maternity Clothes: Not yet, although I am wearing my belly band with some of my jeans that are a little snug. I don't want to smush the little baby in my tummy. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to wearing my maternity clothes or at least some of it because for the most part they are way more comfortable than trying to squeeze into regular clothes and wearing a belly band.

Weight Gain: Nothing yet thankfully. I am hovering at 112 lbs for now so we'll see where it goes from here. I think I gained around 35 pound during my pregnancy with Brantley so hopefully I can stay around that number this time as well.

Baby's Size this week:

Our baby is the size of a sweet pea!

The average embryo at week 6 is about .25 inches and will double in size again next week. Wow!

Baby's Development this week:
This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. (Information from BabyCenter.com)

Movement: No movement yet, the baby is way to small and barely wiggling it's paddle feet and arms. I just looked back at my Belly posts with Brantley and I wasn't really feeling her until 19 weeks. I may feel this baby sooner just because I know what it really feels like now.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Going to the beach next weekend and telling the rest of my family and my Grandmother Harris that we're expecting again. We're going down there for my cousin's wedding but I don't think she'll mind if I share my news when we get there or at least I hope she doesn't.
I'm also really looking forward to my first doctors appointment on Oct. 14th. It's 2 weeks from today! I'm so ready to hear the baby's heartbeat and to see him/her on the ultrasound screen. Those two things will make this more real since I don't really "feel" pregnant yet.

Bump pic for the week:

My Big Fat Belly - 5 weeks

Symptoms: Not too much to report here thankfully. My girls are feeling a little tender and full but no major pain yet. The only other thing I've noticed is that I'm having to pee a lot more often these days and it's getting more frequent everyday. Thankfully, I haven't been experiencing any serious nausea yet but I'm sure it's probably coming.

Maternity Clothes: Nope not yet but I have had to wear my belly band with a few pants already.

Baby Size:

The baby is the size of an Appleseed!

Your embryo is now measurable -- though it's a wee .13 inches -- and she's gearing up for much more growth. In fact, in the next week, she'll almost double in size. Grow baby grow!

Baby's Development this week: The embryo doesn't look like much more than a tadpole right now, but he/she's already starting to form major organs (heart, stomach, liver, kidney) and systems (digestive, circulatory, nervous). Some sites say that the heart might start beating this week.

Movement: Not yet

What I'm Looking Forward To: My first doctor's appointment on October 14th when we'll get to have the first ultrasound to see and hear the baby's heartbeat. I can't wait!!!

Bump Pic for the Week: