20 weeks...

That's weird. Where did this week go!? Must've been asleep for most of it! And also...

There's only 20 weeks left of my pregnancy! Oh wowza.

This week our little wonder is growing his own unique fingerprints! His organs are maturing and he's plumping up, so his overall growth rate has slowed as his energy is used in this new direction. He, apparently, according to baby websites, weighs about 260g now (but who knows with this Nugget!?) and measures around 15-17from crown to rump (or about the height of a standard can of beer!). Changes in the digestive system mean that our baby can now start to take in some amniotic fluid, which can set off bouts of hiccups.

Now, I don't remember this at all in my pregnancy with Josiah and obviously not in my last one as I didn't get this far, but I cannot describe how tired I am. I appreciate that I have Josiah to run around after now but he has a good nap (which admittedly I don't always take advantage of)  and it's not like we have a manic life. I did read that there's no way you can take in all the minerals and vitamins you need in pregnancy without overeating so I guess I should probably stock up on some iron. Example; Wednesday night, I had to excuse myself from group and was in bed at 7:30pm (not before asking John to come home early from work because I couldn't stay awake, however much I tried), I slept from 8pm til 7am and still woke up feeling like I needed another five or so hours. This little one must really be doing a lot of growing!

A Father Writes ...

Today's news (not 100% it goes without saying blah blah blah disclaimer) is that Baby is a ... Boy! For those of us who had predicted this some time ago (eg me) this news will not come as a surprise, but is welcome nonetheless.  There is a fairly good chance that this will be the last baby Stevens.  Here follows John's Pro and Con analysis of Baby Stevens being of the male persuasion:

Pros:
We don't have to buy any new baby clothes.
A chance to have the first set of brothers to play together for Kent since 1990.
We can play Headers and Volleys.
Another lad for our Stevens and Hurst trips to watch Bromley play in years to come.

Cons:
It doesn't look like I'm going to get a daughter to say "Daddy, my Daddy" as I dismount from the train.

19 weeks...

We are officially halfway there! I say officially, according to baby websites. I thought pregnancies were 40 weeks but whatever.

Measuring about 16 centimetres, it will be interesting to see how much the EFW is tomorrow as the average is 240g at 19 weeks. The baby was 230g 3 days into 18 weeks! We have a scan to measure the fluid in my tummy and my cervix again tomorrow. Nugget is swallowing amniotic fluid, and their kidneys continue to make urine. Hair on their scalp is sprouting, too. Sensory development reaches its peak this week. The nerve cells serving each of the senses – taste, smell, hearing, seeing and touch – are developing in their specialised areas of the brain.

Cupid...

I'm not going to gush much because it's quite frankly annoying. But I cannot believe how much I love this growing child within me already. I am so, so, so excited to be carrying this little one, and I feel exactly like I did when I was expecting Josiah. Except less anxious about what's to come because, well, we've done it before! I look forward to every single antenatal appointment, not least the scans fairly obviously. 

Can't wait to meet this cherub!

18 week scan...

This morning we had a family trip to the sonographer! Great fun it was. Josiah caught a bug on Sunday so hasn't been too well since then therefore Mummy only had about 8 hours sleep in 3 days. Felt like I was going a bit mental. However, the one morning we had to get up early (appointment at 8:40am) Josiah slept wonderfully and didn't wake up until 7:40am.We were called in at 8:40am on he dot. I like early appointments! We asked Josiah where the baby was and he pointed to the screen and grinned wildly, then pointed to my tummy then to his tummy. That kid is hilarious. Nugget played peek-a-boo quite literally for while, as if there was a twin in there, with their legs clamped shut so the sonographer decided my bladder wasn't full enough to see much of the baby or my cervix so we were sent away to 'top up' for half an hour.

I saw an abbreviation called EFW on my report. I googled it and it stands for Estimated Fetal Weight. Well. 18 weeks the baby is on average 190g. Now I appreciate that EFW is ESTIMATED but our not so little Nugget's EFW is 235g. At 19 weeks, the average EFW is 240g. So. We have a fast growing one in there!

Because it's still quite early to tell, the sonographer (who was jolly good I must add) only hazarded a guess at the sex of the baby. It started off as one sex but towards the end she said she was now nearly sure of what it was. We'll know for sure at our 5th December scan! But it's VERY interesting. We'll tell you if you wish to know!

Flu...

Those who know me well will be aware of my fear of needles. It's not a major fear, like spiders or heights, but it's there, most certainly. So imagine my surprise today, when I took Jo to the doctors to get him checked out (had this chesty cough for over a month now, turns out it's not an infection but it all boils down to his ears -cold weather etc. Poor poppet.) and I thought, while I was there, it would be a good plan to book my physio and flu jab. The receptionist told me to ring on Friday to speak to the doctor on call to arrange physio and would I like to take a seat, the nurse will do the jab now. So, desperately, I tried to assure her that it wasn't urgent and I would call to arrange an appointment in the not so near future. She glared at me, told me it was overdue by a month anyway and that the nurse would be with me shortly. And so she was. 

Jo sat opposite me and I grinned like a cheshire cat as if everything was all rosy. I grabbed his hand and clenched very tightly, totally forgetting it was my two year old child not my husband.

And then it was over. It stung though. But I was a brave soldier. Yay me.

18 weeks...

We made it! And we're feeling great. Starting to feel the baby move a lot more now too, though it still suprises me.

We have another growth scan on Wednesday morning which the three of us will go to as last time, it was just me. This is to check the cervix isn't shortening and that the baby is growing as he or she should. It's a strange feeling that this stage in April didn't happen as we expected...when Emmanuel was born, he only weighed 100g which correlates to 16 weeks. Still very perfectly formed which makes those scriptures all the more true. 

Great English there. 

At 18 weeks, the baby is expected to be about 190g. I'm officially in the fifth month of pregnancy, just a couple of weeks away from the half way mark. The baby crown to rump is roughly 6 inches and can now feel and hear. His chest moves up and down to mimic breathing. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit!

Keep growing Nugget!

Feelings...

I have yet to post a bump photo - I shall endeavour to get one up sharpish. Anyhoo. I just wanted to very briefly mention that on Saturday (or Sunday depending on whether you talk to my doctor or sonographers), I shall be 18 weeks. And yet, there appears to be no feelings of fear or anxiety. Just pure excitement! Seriously, virtually beside myself. Can't wait to be 40 weeks. Although, I am quite anxious about the labour as I really don't want a C-Section (why have the NHS now said women can request them!? Madness. If you're too posh to push, you shouldn't be having a baby anyway. 'Nuff said.) I just feel a bit funny about the impending birth but I think it's mainly because of things our consultant said might be a possibility. Not certain. Though I should just stop talking because God has quite clearly been in control throughout this pregnancy and has blessed us so much, why am I doubting His presence during labour!?

Josiah and I had a lovely time this afternoon. He's very keen on his potty currently, so we are sitting on the off chance he performs which he has done on occasion (cue much applause!) and while he did so, we were looking through the photo albums of when he was very new. I'm glad I took lots of bump photos while I was expecting him because he got to see scan photos of him in my big tummy! It's a precious time at the moment.

Heartburn...

Forgot about this treasure of pregnancy (note the cynicism). The feeling that the acid is literally burning a hole in your oesophagus. Not pleasant.

How low can you go...

I was going to put a picture of a wrist up here, but I decided that wouldn't be very loving to my husband.

I have very low blood pressure. Only in pregnancy does it get lower than usual and I conveniently keep forgetting this fact. So when I come over all woozy and nauseous, I wonder why, panic-strickenly (yes, another made-up word) ring my mum and ask her if I've got pre-eclampsia, she asks how much I've drunk today. Then I tell her, 'oh about two cups of teas and a glass of water'. There is your answer. Drinking increases your blood volume which is why if you do have low blood pressure, you are encouraged to drink regularly. 

In fact, after I came out of surgery in April, my blood pressure fluctuated up and down so much in the space of two hours (every reading had a difference of, on average, 8) and at one point got so low, I passed out. Thankfully, I was lying down. 

I'd rather this than high blood pressure so it's a blessing in disguise!

On the up...

It's been a good week; I'm back on tea and sleeping! Aside from Friday night, when Josiah weirdly woke up at 11:30pm and didn't get back to sleep til 3am. Four hours sleep. All training I expect! I thought I was back on the tea a while back but it alas still repulsed me. I was pushing it. But this week has bought lovely cups of tea and 17 weeks in, I am now a regular drinker again. YAY! This has been the usual time in my pregnancies it seems. 

So that's nice.

We have another growth scan on Wednesday 16th bright and early, just to check lengths, sizes and such like. Last time, I had a male sonographer which worked out well because it wasn't an internal as was booked! A little nervous about that one. I think the sort of scan is entirely dependant on the length of the cervix. So if it seems to be an OK length, they will scan purely from the outside. You catch my drift without having to go into immense detail. There are men reading this after all.

Josiah saw a tiny baby earlier on. He pointed at the baby and then pointed at my tummy! We haven't said anything. He's just a genius.

17 weeks...

This little cherub is a real wriggle pot! While I am sitting here typing this, Nugget is pounding my insides like he's playing a xylophone. Not even joking. John, the clever lad that he is, found the heartbeat last night (along with the more than frequent bop from his unborn child), now averaging about 150bpm.

My mum took my blood sugar reading tonight which was a nice 4.8! So, so far, nothing diabetes like lurks in the shadows, bless God.

Nugget is between 11-12cm long now and as we know, stretching their arms and legs! His skeleton is mostly rubbery cartilage, but will start to harden as the weeks go by. A protective substance called myelin slowly begins to wrap around his spinal cord. Sweat glands are starting to develop all over his body.

We had our midwife appointment on Wednesday, Jo sat at the kiddies table in the room very well and looked very excited when he heard the heartbeat. Not entirely sure he had any idea what it was. But to help him with the understanding, a little later on, we will stick the doppler on his chest so he can hear his heartbeat and then find his brother or sisters one! We're not planning on saying much until January...though I know he knows something because he's being very affectionate with my tummy! And tells me the baby is in there...or in my boob.

Dressing up...

I was having a good old natter with Anna, which we do very well I have to admit. We were reminiscing about our memories of the days immediately after having our children and how we felt et cetera. One thing we both remembered, and I'm glad she did too because I thought it was just me all this time, was all these midwives and seasoned mothers telling us that we shouldn't get dressed in the days after giving birth, that we didn't need to make an effort for anybody, that it's OK to not get dressed until 3pm. Fair enough. That may work totally fine for some people! But to ask first time mums 'your body's essentially just run a marathon, why would you get dressed?' in what seems utter disbelief when first time mums are very vulnerable at this point and will cower to anything anyone says (for the most part at least) irritates me a lot and quite frankly, I don't think its fair. Answer: 'because it makes me feel good!?' I don't understand how people feel comfortable saying things like that to others. For first time parents especially, people push their ideas on parenting or how to treat yourself after giving birth in a big way. Still, it's individual for everyone. I know for me, I couldn't wait to have a lovely, hot shower, wear something nice and feel normal again! 

Admittedly, walking to Tescos the day after giving birth for the first time probably wasn't the greatest plan. Genuinely thought I was going to die by the time we got to the end of our road. And I didn't have a shower (at home obviously) or get dressed until after the first midwives visited on the Sunday after I got back from the hospital. We had one friend who came to visit and looked at me as if I'd got a screw loose when I offered a cup of tea. They were obviously only looking out for me but I want people to be treated nicely and have a drink if they want to! Jesus would after all.

It's going to be very interesting this time around!