Baby #2 update

I haven't written much about this pregnancy, and have barely taken any pictures (it's amazing how less appealing it is to take "bump" pictures the second time around). But pretty much for my memory's sake, here's a little recap on the second part of this pregnancy.

18 weeks

-It has felt so much different than with Paige. This time my nausea has been pretty minimal, only puking a handful of times.

-Holy heartburn. Didn't have at all with Paige, and just in these last few months it has really kicked in.

-I don't tend to swell up too bad, but after wearing pretty high heels to do singing time at 37 weeks, I got in the car and had full blown kankles. And my wedding ring, which normally tends to be too loose, even during pregnancy, couldn't even budge. Not cute.

-Apparently I am anemic this time around so had to go on iron pills

-I craved Tillamook cheese way too much this summer (a horrible thing for a pregnant girl to crave)

-Got my first stretch mark at about 37 weeks. Sad, sad day.

-Every person in Washington would tell me how sorry they were "I had to be pregnant through this heat". All I could think was how glad I wasn't in Texas or North Carolina, I was loving the weather in WA (and my parents' AC and lake :)

-Have had a ton of Braxton Hicks contractions this time

-I get comments almost everywhere I go about my stomach. The past few months it was always how low I carried, or how it "must be a boy" because I carry so low, or "wow, you've really dropped". Yeah, too bad at the last appointment the doctor said he hasn't even dropped yet. Imagine the looks I'll get once he does! And the past few weeks people just stare and say, "I'm guessing you're due soon...", which I take as their way of saying, "Holy cow, you're huge and look painfully uncomfortable!". It does have it's perks though, like today when the Costco cart boy came running to stop me from loading my own water into my car. I guess he was worried I would go into labor right then and there.

-We finally did the hospital tour, which I think just made me feel nervous seeing the beds and remembering what is about to come. But at least we now know where to park at this massive hospital.

-I have very mixed emotions (ok, just a lot of hormones & emotions all together at this point). I'm so excited to finally meet this little boy, but at the same am feeling a little nervous about labor and about having 2 kids. It still doesn't totally seem real that we are having a another baby, and it's hard to think that Paige won't be the baby anymore. Such an anxious and exciting time all at once. Good thing I have a drawer full of adorable baby clothes to calm my nerves.

Excuse the shell pictures that came with the frames...planning on putting pictures of the kids in these

-We put up his "nautical" decorations that my dad made. (It is a serious perk having a dad that likes to build things!) Since Paige and the baby will be sharing a room, it's basically just a strange mixture of pink birds and boat items, but we're making due in this little townhouse and hopefully in our next place they will each have their own space to decorate.

I have to say how blessed we feel that this pregnancy has really gone very smoothly. With all of our flying around, being apart from Ben, seeing different doctors, etc., it has been a huge blessing that everything has gone so well. Now we're just eagerly awaiting this little boy's arrival...which will hopefully be very soon!