Starting to Show

According to my little floating baby up in the corner, I'm just under 12 weeks pregnant right now. Well, unlike last time when I didn't start showing until week 18, I've got a little baby bump. I know "they" say that you typically show sooner with subsequent pregnancies, but I was hoping that would mean I started showing at 16 weeks instead of 18. It's definitely baby belly and not just "too many snacks" belly because it's starting pretty high up and just has that tell-tale look. My pants are getting to be too tight too. Luckily for me though, all the fashion right now looks like maternity shirts so I hopefully won't have to break out that clothes for another month or so.

Big Sister Wants...

Katarina is learning the difference between boys and girls these days and loves labeling everything "little boy" or "little girl". I figured I should ask her what she wants Baby #2 to be so I asked her if she'd like a little brother or sister and she said sister. To make sure, I asked her if she wanted a little boy or a little girl in the family and she said girl.
I have to admit that I want a girl too. Not that I won't be absolutely thrilled with having a boy also, it's just daunting to think about learning everything all over again. At least if we have another girl, we've already figured how they work. Haha! Besides the attic full of clothes that could be worn again, and the thought of two cuties being tortured with matching outfits and all that fun stuff. Oh, and the big thing, we cannot figure out a boy's name we like! Not that we agree on any girl's names right now, but at least I have a few in mind. Boy's names are much harder. We have a middle name, but no first name.
Oh well. As I said, as long as the baby is healthy I'm thrilled with whatever I get. And being the big sister of a brother and a sister I know that either one works well in the family dynamic!

Ultrasound

Today, I drank my tons of water and went off to the hospital radiology department to get an ultrasound done. It was to size & date the baby so we could get a better estimated due date. Ultrasounds are torture for a pregnant lady. Not because it is a hard test and it is wonderful to see the baby, but because they make you drink a ton of water starting an hour before your appointment, and you know of course your appointment doesn't start on time. We got to the hospital at 8.45 and I already had to pee horribly. By 9, I was finally called back to registration and finally after 9.30 I was taken back to the ultrasound room. By a nurse that was basically running and trying to lose us in the maze of hospital corridors.
Out of breath, I get to meet my tech, Dana, and I lay down on the table. Nick had to stay back in a small waiting area (or maybe he got lost since that nurse was running!) while she did the initial measurements. She didn't say much but she did turn the sound on and I got to hear Baby S 2.0's heartbeat. It was a very fast 176 bpm. After she was done measuring she went to go get Nick.
Once Nick got in the room she showed us our little baby. It was amazing how much you can see this early. We saw the head and spine and beating heart. And Baby S (2.0) has little nubbin arms and legs. I made the mistake of asking if babies move around this early and she let the wand in one spot and I got to see the baby clearly. And when I say see it, I mean see it just moving around like a crazy person! I don't even think Katarina moved around that much when we saw her on ultrasound!
It was awesome seeing the baby. Oh, and the date has been moved UP now to 6.16. Katarina's due date was also the 16th.

Appointment #2

Today was my second appointment with the office, the first appointment with a doctor. Actually, I met the new midwife that joined the practice recently. I had to have an internal exam, which I wasn't really expecting. She said that everything is looking good, but that I'm measuring small so she is going to want to have me get an ultrasound to date the baby. I also found out that Nick is A+ so I will have to get the rhogam shot again this time, darn!
My next appointment is a month. And then I guess I'll get the ultrasound around then.
I've been miserable with a migraine all day. I sure am hoping those disappear in the second trimester.

Life Getting in the Way

I should be walking around blissfully happy - I have a great family and in 8 months we'll be adding to it - but unfortunately, life gets in the way of the dream. Nick was laid off from his job this week so it's been a little stressful around the house. Well, it was a stressful couple of days, but then logic set in. Really though, when I got the news from Nick, the first thing I thought was, 'great, we are going through this and I am pregnant, what horrible timing', but Nick is a great supportive husband and even though he lost HIS job, he reassured me that he wants Baby #2 so badly and that everything will work out. Anyway, back to logic. I know things are going to work out and be even better then before. I'm positive. Nick & I even discussed it tonight. We look back at our time living in Annapolis, without jobs and without health insurance, and we laugh about it now. We got through it and look where we ended up. Every turn you take on the path of life sets you where you need to go and we were meant to be here. Who knows how this chapter of our life will play out, but I know that we are excited that no matter what, we'll have a fourth member of this crazy little family.

Spilling the Beans

We've started telling people. I'm 7 weeks along at this point and it still feels early, but at the same time, i just want everyone to know! So far, my boss has been the most excited - and she's the one I was most nervous about telling. I didn't plan on telling Paulette just yet, but we were doing the marketing planning for the next year, and I figured I needed to warn her there was going to be a few months I wasn't there.
I still am not feeling too pregnant. Which is sort of enjoyable. I'm sure I'll have some sort of bout with nauseousness but hopefully not too much.
I was reading books to Katarina tonight and trying to remember what it was like before she was around, and I can't. I mean, I know Nick & I had a lot more freedom and all that, but now I feel like she has just been with us forever. Then it got me thinking about #2 and that in a year I'll have another child and it will feel right for us to be a family of four. It's so hard to imagine!