22 Weeks With Baby Number 3

Figured I'd do some skipping ahead as with some things I missed out on some updates but I did take pics!

This Week:

Keeping things fairly quiet but glad to be passed the 22 week mark! 

Baby This Week: 

Baby has apparently grown from a pint of ice cream to a large kale smoothie. At my last ultrasound at a little over 21 weeks, the baby was measuring at 1 pound! 

Maternity Clothes:

Going strong! Living in maternity bottoms except for regular yoga pants. I am mostly sporting a maternity shirt and a cardigan or sweater or jacket over top! Now that the belly is more pronounced, it is more fun to dress the bump! 

Stretch Marks/Weight: 

Minimal stretch marks actually except for the old ones and my weight is up 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight according to my 21 week appointment. 

Movement:

Lots of movement! I swear this kid is on my schedule because even on weekends at 5 AM it is up having a party. It is as if it knows my work schedule and usually I am awake by that time. Ryan was able to feel baby move from the outside for the first time on September 27 at a little over 20 Weeks. 

Food Aversions/Cravings:

French fries, meats...the usual are gross. But really have had cravings for chocolate and pickles lately (#typicalpregnantlady)! So weird! I hated pickles with Sam! 

Symptoms:

I think the worse symptom is the general soreness this time. I feel like my pelvic bones and hips "relaxed" a lot earlier then before making me feel like I'm at the waddling stage already. 

What I Miss:

Lately, I have been missing alcohol. I don't want it to sound selfish but some nights I would just really like a glass of wine. When out for our girls trip in Nova Scotia and I had the fish, I SO badly wanted a cold beer with it. 

Labor Signs/Health Update:

Well things were looking really great! Stable cervix, no gallstone attacks. All was well. Then at 21 week and a half weeks, I was told my cervix was dangerously short and I needed a cerclage. I had the procedure the next day which was simpler then expected. Recovery has also been fairly easy as well. I am just so thankful for our awesome healthcare system and being closely monitored by the high risk clinic. It gives me nightmares to think about the fact that I would have likely had a loss at over 20 weeks if I had not been this closely monitored. Post cerclage, Doc thinks all looks great and cerclage is doing what it is suppose to!  

Gender:

Still team green! We had a really fun appointment a week after my cerclage. The ultrasound always confirms your birthday and mine happened to be the next day! So I mentioned that. During the ultrasound she switched it to 3D so we could see the face and it was SO neat! She stayed far away from the gender area and so far no doctors, nurses or techs have let it slip! They actually genuinely seem excited to have a couple who aren't finding out as it is rare. 

Wedding Rings/Belly Button

No changes but belly button is starting to get more shallow. 

What I'm Looking Forward To/Best Moment:

Seeing the baby in 3D was a highlight of this pregnancy. It looks like a little baby rather then just bones! I would also have to say all of the birthday treats in the last few weeks! With the gallbladder diet I still try to be careful but have been enjoying some nice birthday meals and treats! 

Daddy This Week:

Another rough time for my poor husband. This man will seriously deserve a medal after this pregnancy. He was by my side pre and post op and I was so glad to have him there. He has been taking such good care of Sam and I. For my 30th birthday he planned an awesome weekend away that unfortunately had to get canceled and we never got a lot of the money back. I felt awful but he never even flinched. He still made it a special birthday and continues to do most stuff around the house and check on me all the time. 

Big Brother Sam:

Again, I was worried about Sam catching on to me being in the hospital again and the surgery stuff. But we tried to keep things as normal as possible and he didn't seem to notice or change his mood any. My parents and Ryan have been doing most daycare drop-offs/pick ups which I think Sam is getting use to. But boy do I miss him! The daycare drives we would chat and sing. When he gets home he wants to get straight to playing and doesn't want to visit. I officially don't fit with him in his bed anymore so we have stories and snuggles in our bed before he goes to sleep. 

Wisdom:

I don't know who invented the cerclage but thank you. You have saved many a babies. A few women have reached out to me about their cerclage experience. Unfortunately, most of us had to have a loss before a cerclage was considered for our next pregnancy. I wish there was some way of making cervical checks more standard from 15-24 weeks for all pregnancy women. It would prevent SO many pre-term births and losses. 

xo