Baby #2, weeks 25-26

Well we are LESS than 3 months away from meeting our Lucy girl. I can't remember if I wrote this in my last update but we have our C section date. Our girl will be born on Monday April 27th, 2015 at 7:30am. That was a surreal phone call to get from the hospital and we are very excited! Jon and I talk about how crazy it is that we will just have a normal weekend and bam, have a baby on Monday. In case you missed the post, I shared why I am opting for a repeat C section (read here). I will be 27 weeks on Saturday and these were taken, via lovely iPhone (sorry baby #2) last Saturday right at 26 weeks.

• People who haven't seen me in a while comment on how big my belly is getting and it's true! According to my home scale I have gained 16lbs. I just looked at my weight chart for Ford and at 28 weeks I had gained 20lbs, so very similar, I do, however, feel smaller this time around. 
• The past two weeks have been rough, physically, thanks to sciatic nerve pain. I had it here and there with Ford (but mostly back pain because he was so large), but it is terrible with Lucy. The only relief I can get is laying down on my heating pad so there have been a lot of tears, back rubs, essential oils, and other attempts to relive the pain. It has been better the past few days but carrying around a gigantic toddler doesn't help. I've also had some random hip pain, I guess my body thinks it needs to prepare to pop a baby out down there... no sir!
• Heart palpitations are back with a vengeance and hard to manage. A few times a day my heart just races and I feel like I just ran a 5k, even if I have been sitting on the couch for an hour. 
• Down to 1/2 a Zofran pill at night only, yeah! I tried to skip it a few times and ended up having to wake up in the middle of the night to take it. That is okay with me because I like not vomiting :). I filled a prescription of 20 pills this week so I am optimistic that it will be my last refill. 
• Despite the back pain, I have been to the gym about twice a week the past 2 weeks and that feels good! I am not really doing cardio anymore because of my hips but light weights and I did 30 min of a Zumba class this week (that was interesting ha!). The weather has been wonderful in Austin so we've been trying to walk everyday. 
• My next appointment is a week from Monday and I have my glucose test. I had GD with Ford and am really hoping I don't have it this time because sweets are my weakness. In the end, it's not a big deal to give them up and I loved having a big ole baby but pregnant cravings are real!
• We've done lots of things in the nursery and can't wait to show you! The room was painted last week and I've spent the last few weeks gathering things for the walls which we hope to hang up soon. Ford now loves going into Lucy's room and playing in there. 
• Even though I have an anterior placenta, I feel her all the time and so does Jon! We even see her move outside my belly which is pretty cool.
• I went to Dallas last week and came back with a ton of baby girl clothes and swaddles for Lucy from cousin Embry. I did some major nesting and washed all of her clothes and organized by size, put away larger sizes in storage, folded the rest, and put them in drawers. I love being ahead of the game and most of all... organizing. 

Baby #2, weeks 20-24

How I did weekly updates when I was pregnant with Ford, I don't know! Bump pictures have been scarce around here thanks to wearing the same pajamas for days on end and not brushing my hair for the same time frame. So we are having a baby this year! Holy smokes. I was very emotional on New Year's Day partially because I woke up with the tummy bug but also realizing how quickly our family would be welcoming in little Lucy. I kept saying, "oh yeah after the holidays we will do XYZ" and that time is now! The nursery is in full swing, I can't wait to show you guys the progress, and my belly is getting large and in charge. It still amazes me how the human body stretches and grows.

23 weeks

24 weeks

• Still sick, not surprising. I am down to 1/2 Zofran pill in the morning and 1/2 at night
• Gained 11lbs
• Pretty intense back and tailbone pain starting around week 21/22. Pregnancy is probably the main factor but also carrying Ford puts a lot of pressure on my back. I've been resting in the evenings with a heating pad and accepting nightly massages from my hubby
• It's getting harder and harder to roll over in bed and often ask for a push from Jon
• I have quite the appetite lately...not really any certain cravings or aversions, just very hungry!
• To the average person my belly button looks adorable and popped like any other pregnant lady but my hernia is pretty protruding. I am anxious to get it repaired when L is born.
• I got a few stretch marks around my belly button the week I was overdue with Ford and they are starting to show up now at 23/24 weeks
• We had our anatomy scan yesterday where they take about 45 minutes to measure every single part of her body and everything looks great! We saw all 4 chambers of her heart, 2 kidneys, tummy, healthy placenta/cord, and more. It was such a fun appointment and they turned on the 3D quite a bit. Our stubborn little lady had both of her hands AND one foot over her face the whole time so getting a face shot was tricky. The tech was able to remove a little of her hands but she wants to keep us surprised with her good looks. She is measuring in the 50th percentile and has the sweetest chubby cheeks. 
• I should get a call this week from labor and delivery to schedule my c section! I want to write more about our choice for another C section, let's see if I ever get around to it
• Overall feeling really good but feeling big. Grow baby grow!

Stubborn little girl

Baby #2 Wishlist

I assumed that I wouldn't need much when I got pregnant with baby #2. Ford s almost 17 months and it feels like yesterday that my Jon and I were setting up a baby shower registry, putting together everything from baby swings to video monitors, and patiently waiting his (overdue) arrival. Boy was I wrong! Sure, my house is equipped with lots of baby gear but I have a list a mile long of things I wish I would have had with baby #1, things I didn't like that I had with baby #1 and want to replace for baby #2, and then things I need two of. Lucy will be here in a little over 3 months, cue panic attack. Buying baby girl clothes is a no brainer...I don't mind her using Ford's infant carseat, bassinet, or swaddles but girlfriend is getting her own wardrobe! Speaking of baby girl's wardrobe, I need to put myself back on that "no buying baby clothes" freeze that I was one last week. Whoops. Target does it again.

So what is on my baby #2 wish list? I am glad you asked!

Medela Pump in Style: I received an Ameda Purely Yours pump completely free through my insurance before Ford was born and I was pumped about it, no pun intended. I never had an issue with my supply until it came to pumping. Luckily (if you want to call it luck), Ford never took a bottle so my pumping days were short lived but I truly believe it was the pump that caused my lack of milk. I used a friends Medela once and pumped 3x my normal. It is just a better quality and more efficient which is a requirement since I won't have all the time in the world to sit around and pump with 2 kids! Luckily I found one for an incredible deal and already got it. We plan to implement bottle feeding into our everyday routine with Lucy so she isn't as stubborn as Ford.

K'Tan: We are definitely a baby wearing family and the Ergo and Boba has saved the day many many times. I hated the newborn insert for those carriers and was stuck trying to figure out how to tie the 100feet of  my Moby wrap in the 100 degree weather. I wore it twice and gave up. I have been hearing great things about the K'Tan and Solly Baby Wraps and plan on borrowing from my mommy friends! They are supposedly lighter weight than the Moby and so much easier to secure. I foresee lots of baby wearing next summer while at the pool, park, out and about with both babies.

City Select Double Stroller: Ford absolutely loves walks in his stroller and we love taking them as a family and with friends so there was not a doubt in my mind that I wanted a good double stroller. I didn't want a double wide after hearing horror stories about them being to wide to fit through doorways and after lots of research and recommendations from friends, I went with the City Select. I bought it here and have yet to put it together. I love that it can be a single or double stroller and that the babes will be able to face each other, me, out, etc. 

Video monitor: Thank God for video monitors! Ford slept in our room for the first 4 months of his life and my goal is to cut that in half for Lucy. Her room is upstairs so it all depends on how quickly I heal from surgery and how quickly I can get her to 1 feeding a night but that's my ultimate goal. We love our Summer Infant Video Monitor but anytime we use it next to my sisters identical one, it craps out, so we want to get a different brand. After some good research, I found this Motorola one but will also have my eyes peeled for a highly rated monitor for cheap.

CR Gibson Baby Book: We have the most precious CR Gibson baby book for Ford and want to get one for Lucy. I plan on documenting her monthly progress on my blog just like I do for Ford but I love hand writing in milestones and memories. My mom did a great job with my baby book and I want to do the same for my kiddos. Here is the one we are hoping for.

Bum Genius Diapers: I currently have 24 Bum Genius 4.0 diapers in my stash plus 3 other branded cloth diapers and want to add a few more. We started cloth with Ford at 8 weeks and if we did the same with Lucy, Ford would be around 23-24 months. Recently Jon has been doing lots of research on potty training early and we plan on trying next summer but if it doesn't work out, we are fine with two in diapers. We shall wait and see. All of my diapers are gender neutral and I would love to add some girly colors to my stash!

I've actually had a few friends ask if I have created a registry and I hadn't planned on it from the beginning but made one on Amazon just to keep track of what I need (or want really). Our favorite Mustela shampoo, a Baltic Amber teething necklace, a soft bibs, Milkies, sound machine, some stroller accessories, and a few other things are on our wishlist. In case you are interested (and want to buy the video monitor as an anniversary present for us!), here is our baby registry. I know girl clothes are so fun to buy for people and I assume most of the little gifts I will get will be clothing, which I need and don't mind at all!

Her name

We are so excited to announce our daughters name. Lucy Joy Hart is already so loved and we cannot wait for her to join our family in a little over 4 months (she will go by Lucy, Joy is her middle name). We decided to keep Ford's name a secret until the day he was born and it was fun and thrilling but also hard! We told our family his first name and kept everyone else in the dark. This time around felt different. Our family is established, we've known her name since the second we found out it was a girl, and we felt called to share it. So what's the story behind Lucy? To be honest, we just like it and have liked it forever. It has been our girl name ever since we got married (I think we even talked about it pre-marriage) and we have prayed that we would get to use it one day. We feel like it flows perfectly with our last name and fits even better with her big brother's name. Joy, however, is very meaningful for 2 reasons. First, Jon's mother's maiden name is DiJoy and his Papa DiJoy has made a strong imprint on his life. Jon lived with him for a period of time and has the best memories of his papa growing up. He is still close to his papa who lives in Cleveland and we are thrilled that our little girl will carry on his name with such special meaning. Second, joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, given to us by Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:22). Believers bear fruit when the Holy Spirit is present and at work in our hearts. It is meant to change our lives, equip us with making disciples of all nations, and share God's abounding love, grace, and mercy with others. Our prayer for Lucy is that Jesus is in her heart from such an young age and that the Holy Spirit guides her and walks with her in becoming a God centered, selfless, caring, compassionate young lady.

Thank you for loving our family and thank you for loving our little Lucy Joy!

Baby #2 weeks 15-17

Today marks 17 weeks 3 days for baby girl Hart. Wowzas. Part of me feels guilty for not spending as much time documenting this pregnancy and to be honest, I forget how pregnant I am until my husband gets the email when I turn the next week, but then I feel so joyful knowing I have a little rascal to care while simultaneously growing a baby. With Ford I would anxiously wait for my app to show me what is happening in our baby's body over the next week and symptoms I should look for but this time around I feel more confident and assured that whatever is happening, is perfect and in God's will for our family. The belly is out and proud (along with my hernia belly button that instantly gives away the pregnancy) so I've been dressing it more often, rather than wearing bigger shirts to hide the awkward stage of pregnancy bump. I've been wearing lots of leggings and the same pair of jeans over and over because the rubber band trick still works.

People ask me everyday how I am feeling and that one is tricky. I feel so good....but I am still sick. I am beyond the uber tired, can barely stay awake for an hour, stage but still relying on heavy medication that brings down my throwing up to 1-2 times a week. I am up about 5lbs now.

I've noticed in the  past week lots of round ligament pain which goes hand in hand with the belly growth. Ford had a fever yesterday (and still today) and just wanted to lay on me which was sweet but I also felt a lot of pressure in my tummy. It is starting to get uncomfortable for me to hold him in certain ways and I know it is only going to get harder as I grow. I told Jon I hope our baby girl doesn't come out with a squished head because her brother is constantly crawling all over my stomach.

My placenta is anterior so we've only been able to find a faint heart beat with our doppler once and I haven't felt any kicks yet. I felt Ford flutters right at 17 weeks so I am not too worried, I know I will be wishing for the karate kicks to simmer down in a few months.

We have a name and I can't wait to share it. It is the name we planned on using if Ford was a girl and it is perfect. Confession, I already ordered her a monogrammed stocking from Pottery Barn... I couldn't pass up the free monogram and shipping! It is fun to call her by name and we are trying to teach Ford how to say it. So cute.

I picked out a paint color for the walls and also a color for the crib and dresser I plan on painting. I am going to try my hand at DIY chalk paint which I want to do sooner than later knowing how big I will get and how little DIY time I get with a toddler.

I just asked Jon what other pregnancy updates do I have and he said my boobs are getting bigger, which some of my girlfriends have also commented on. For any post nursing mamas you know how exciting it is when they "grow" again.

It is hard to believe how quickly this little lady is baking in me. Since she will be born a week early, we are almost halfway through! We are really looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving this week with family and it's crazy thinking we will have two little turkeys this time next year. Let's hope baby girl will be less picky than her brother when it comes to food. Ford will for sure be missing out!

Baby Hart #2, week 14

I turn 15 weeks on Saturday so I am not sure how to calculate/post these updates...poor baby #2 isn't getting as in depth of updates as Ford but I have Ford to blame for that :). So in case you missed the big news on Monday....

Yes it is true! A girl! It still feels surreal saying that, I don't think it has sunk in. At least 5 times a day Jon and I exchange wide eyed looks and say, "I can't believe it is a girl!". We both assumed it was going to be a boy, well, because we have one. In the end, all that matters is a healthy baby but we are absolutely thrilled to be adding a little lady to our family! We both said... this takes the pressure off for baby #3! And in case you were wondering, we took the Panorama blood test that measures DNA so it is 100% accurate, it really IS a girl! We actually have our "gender sonogram" on Monday so it will be fun to see her wiggle around. Even though we have clear pictures of Ford's man parts throughout my pregnancy (even a 3d shot!), I was afraid they got the gender wrong so it is nice having 100% accurate results. 

So it turns out I am just a sick pregnant lady. Boys make me sick, girls make me sick, what a bummer. The only difference between Ford and our girl is the Zofran made me super constipated for a few weeks (under control now with meds) with her, and not with Ford. I still take Zofran morning and night and tried to wean my morning pill last week...unsuccessful. I don't mind taking it because I feel really good when I do, so meds it is. I am over the 1st trimester exhaustion and feeling pretty darn good. Fall back last weekend didn't originally seem to effect Ford but the past few days we have had some EARLY mornings, partly I think due to teething. 

I've started feeling more and more quickening and round ligament pain as I see my belly visibly grow. It is crazy how fast I start showing! 

I got on Pinterest for the first time last night and MAN it was hard to filter through all the girl nursery stuff. So overwhelming. I pinned a few things, showed Jon, and he helped me narrow down what he liked and didn't like. I know the holidays will be crazy and we have a big things on the calendar in the new year so I want to get ideas rolling. We actually already bought another Jenny Lind crib when we couldn't pass up the deal and I am excited to paint it a fun color. 

Other pregnancy related stuff.... I have a great appetite, no specific cravings or aversions. I am about up to my pre pregnancy weight, thanks to keeping sickness under control with meds and I have been peeing approximately 1 million times per night. 

This was taken last week, 14w1d. I've mostly been wearing clothes that mask the bump since it's in that awkward stage of growth but I think after this week I can start showing it off because it is there to stay!

And for those of you asking.... our little lady has a name! Jon and I have loved this name since before we got married. We've told family and friends, not sure if we will post it publicly, you'll have to wait and see!

It's a....

Baby Hart #2, weeks 12-13

Well, my plan was for this post to announce the gender of Baby H2.0 but it is still unknown. Last Tuesday, my birthday, we took the Panorama blood test that is primarily used for genetic testing but it also gives you the gender of your baby with 100% accuracy. My doctor does it for free and I am super impatient so there was no reason NOT to! Baby H2.0 passed the Nuchal Translucency test with flying colors so the genetic portion of the Panorama test will make no difference to us. My doctor normally does the gender scan at 16 weeks (pretty early anyway) but we couldn't wait! The turnaround time is 7-9 days so we've been on pins and needles checking the portal for our results. This Tuesday I got a call from my doctor's office and I answered, "Please don't tell me the gender of my baby, I am not with my husband". The sweet nurse I see at every appointment told me not to worry because she wouldn't but she had bad news. Not something you should say to someone waiting on ANY test results, especially genetic. Turns out there was an error in the main lab and they requested a redraw, no explanation. My heart sank and I was very annoyed. Did they lose my blood work? Did they spill it? How does that happen? Wednesday I drove straight home from our Waco trip to the hospital for a redraw. The nurse did more investigating for me and it turns out they couldn't extract enough DNA of the baby from my blood and needed more. Okay, that made me feel a lot better knowing my blood wasn't lost somewhere. Sure it wasn't the end of the world but we had been waiting so patiently and getting blood taken is a huge for me. I have anxiety leading up to it, sweat and fast talking before it happens, and have even thrown up while it's being taken. I have 3 tattoos and had a C section yet blood draws freak me out. Long story short, we are now waiting on pins and needles....once again... for the gender news of our little babe. I keep telling myself we will know by Halloween! I can't wait to share with you!

Other than that little glitch, I have actually been feeling really great. Since I was sick with Ford until 33 weeks and the first trimester with Baby H2.0 was even worse, I wasn't optimistic that the sickness would end anytime soon. I thought maybe I caught a little break for my birthday but I have been feeling good ever since. I am still on Zofran 2-3 times a day and stool softener at night (I have only gotten sick once since the 13th!) and don't want to try to wean myself off yet. Maybe I am going to be a normal pregnant person who is only sick during the first trimester.... fingers crossed!

I still haven't made it back up to my pre pregnancy weight but I am definitely sporting a belly. The rubberband trick is allowing me to squeeze into my non maternity pants and I think I will bust out the maternity soon.

Ford got me a Snoogle for my birthday and if you are pregnant, reading this, and don't have one....order it ASAP. How the heck was I pregnant for 41 weeks before without one?! Besides getting up to pee every 2-3 hours (I don't remember going that often with Ford), I am getting awesome sleep. I am a tummy sleeper so being pregnant then not being able to sleep on my tummy because of nursing was hard.

I started feeling quickening this past week which is pretty cool. My placenta is anterior this time so it will take me a while to feel kicks but I am definitely feeling fluttering and movement inside my belly. Oh and some round ligament pain, grow belly, grow!

I am 13 weeks tomorrow and can't believe I am in my 2nd trimester. Wow! I can't wait to know the gender of our babe so we can start coming up with ideas for the nursery and getting a head start on projects knowing we will be busy with the holidays (and that time just flies).

Baby Hart #2. weeks 0-12

Baby Hart #2 is cooking away! We are so excited to share this news with you guys and I plan on chronicling my pregnancy this time around, just not as in depth as I did with Ford (if you have a toddler, you'd know why). I never thought I would say this but this pregnancy has been harder than my 1st, which was very hard. I am sicker, more tired, worse symptoms...but SO happy and filled with joy. I am so lucky that Ford is such a good baby and Jon is such a hands on dad because I've been able to rest a lot. This time around feels more special. Sure being pregnant with Ford was incredible but there were so many unknowns. I'd see him in an ultrasound and have NO idea what joy he would bring to our lives one day. Now I know. I look at Ford and think, "I really get to have another one of you?!" Growing this baby has been so difficult but sweet and special. Ford is extra cuddly, I think he knows I am pregnant (he also loves finding "the baby" under my shirt). My official due date is May 2nd but we will be having a scheduled C section at 39 weeks, so an April baby, just like my hubby.

Week 4
We found out we were pregnant extremely early, 3w4d. I had Mom's Night Out with my mom's group on Wednesday August 20th and I really love the margaritas at the restaurant we were going to (Maudie's for you Austinites). We had been trying to get pregnant for a few months unsuccessfully (more on that later) but just to be safe, I decided to take a pregnancy test knowing I was to get my period a few days later. Lo and behold, a cheapo Dollar Tree test showed a faint line so I grabbed an EPT test from my cabinet and it said Not Pregnant. I sent a group text to a few of my girlfriends to get their take (funny how I was an iron vault for a month with Ford and told no one baby #2 is a tad different). The verdict was... I was pregnant. I told Jon Ford had a new word and when he asked what it was I said "big brother!"....I tried to film it on my phone and right after I said big brother, it stopped recording because I was out of space. Fail. I took two more tests on Saturday August 23rd and both the line and digital tests were positive!

8/20/14

8/23/14

4 weeks

4 weeks

Week 5

Felt great, no complaints, just letting the fact that I was pregnant again soak in! I feel like my body said "ahhh I know how to do this" and my belly instantly softened.

Week 6

We told my family over Labor Day weekend at the Lakehouse. It was perfect, my parents wanted a picture of all of the kids so we were standing in a group and they counted to 3 and Jon said Ruthie's pregnant! I started getting sick at 6w3d and immediately got a prescription for Zofran. Since then I have been taking it 2-3 times a day and throwing up every other day or so.

Week 7

Our whole family got the tummy bug this week! Tummy bug on top of pregnancy sickness didn't fare well for me and my body took a LONG time to recover. Post tummy bug Zofran started backing me up which is very common but I never experienced it with Ford, despite taking it until 33 weeks. I have never experienced extreme constipation and it has been so painful. I take a prescription stool softner at night and Milk of Magnesia during the day.

Week 8

We had our first doctor appointment at 8w2d and saw our little nugget squirming around inside of me! It was very surreal and emotional. It was so special knowing we know what is to come. Heartbeat was high and everything looked great! We discussed my plans for birth, medication, gender scans, etc. I actually switched to the doctor who delivered Ford and I am pretty much obsessed with her.

We sent this to family and friends, Ford is going to be such a great big brother!

Week 9

Jon and I enjoyed our first baby-less trip to NYC and had the time of our lives. Sickness and constipation were rough this week but I am so happy and filled with joy that we are baking another baby! I also fell way behind on bump pictures, poor baby #2.

Week 10

I am so thankful for a baby who sleeps so great and plays so good on his own because I am EXHAUSTED. From the second I wake up, I feel like someone sticks me with a needle and drains my energy. Ford and I get out of the house after his morning nap and I have been taking a solid 1-2 hour nap in the afternoons... not to mention getting 9-10 hours at night. Constipation is horrible and so painful. Ouch. Growing a baby is hard work! Also, check out that bump.

Week 11

We got to see our baby again this week! We went in for the Nuchal Translucency test and growth scan and everything looked great. Heart rate was 172 (girl??) and we did the Panorama blood test so we should know the gender of our baby next week! I found out I have a small hernia under my belly button (explains why it was still popped out) and will get it repaired during my next C section, phew. I am still down a couple of pounds because of sickness but I am definitely growing. I lost weight after I stopped breastfeeding in July so I don't really know what my starting weight was. I have started doing the rubberband trick with my jeans because they either 1. don't button or 2. are extremely uncomfortable when I can button them. Maternity pants are right around the corner!

I am 12 weeks tomorrow and I told myself I am GOING to take a bump picture! Chasing a toddler around most of the day is kind of time (and energy) consuming. I can't wait to share this journey again with you guys. God is has been so faithful and loving during this time, to Him the the glory.

Weeks 0-12 with Ford

We are growing

Baby Hart #2 coming in April!