Pregnancy- Week 36

We're getting closer and closer to Parker's arrival! I'm really excited to see his sweet face. His room is ready and just needs our sweet baby boy! Makenzie is as prepared as she can be for what is about to happen. She introduces herself as a big sister to people and tells them that she too has a baby in her belly! A five year old friend of hers was really upset about Makenzie saying this yesterday. She told Makenzie that she couldn't have a baby in her belly because she had to be a grown up and married first.

As for me and the pregnancy. I'm doing okay. I caught a glimpse of myself in a full length mirror and realized...I'm HUGE. My back has been better than it was with Makenzie, probably because I'm not working. This week my pelvis has REALLY started hurting. I'm in pain with almost every step and rolling over in bed requires a lot of effort. At my check up this week my doctor checked my cervix and I'm dilated about a one but not effaced at all. Apparently this is typical for a second pregnancy. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks hold for the Neal family.

Second Trimester - 25 Weeks

I am really feeling pregnant these days. I'm so happy every time I feel Parker move. He kicks a lot! I don't always appreciate the swift kicks to my bladder, but I'm always thankful to know that he is alive and well. I think of Parker as a person more than I ever did when I was pregnant with Makenzie. I find myself talking to him often. I'm so excited to know that we'll have our baby boy in our home in just a few quick months! We're starting to prepare more and more for him. We bought a box of diapers yesterday at Costco and we've ordered some artwork for the walls in his room. My friend is throwing me a baby shower in two weeks and I can hardly wait! We'll probably start really working on his room after the shower because that will be spring break. I'll post pics as soon as everything comes together.
Makenzie talks more and more everyday about Parker and her role as "big sister." She has been putting her dolls and animals into the roles of big brother or sister too. She is becoming increasingly independent in her play. I'm sure that is a skill that will be especially helpful once Parker makes his arrival. I'm sad to lose one on one time with her, but I'm so excited to see the relationship that will grow between the two of them.

It's a boy! 19 weeks continued.

I am so excited to announce that the Neal family is expecting a sweet baby boy in June! I am in awe of how blessed we are. God loves us so much and is trusting us to not one, but two of His children. It is such an honor to have the opportunity to raise a boy for Jesus! I'm so excited for my husband to have to opportunity to raise a son. He is already an amazing father to our daughter and I am excited to see him with our son.

Second Trimester-Week 18 &19

Week 19 is here and it should be a big week! We have an appointment on Wednesday to have our sonogram to make sure that the baby is growing well and everything is where it is supposed to be and to HOPEFULLY find out the gender! I'm so excited! Last week was busy with my MOPS group. It was a craft week and our table's turn to bring food. That sort of consumed the beginning of the week. After that I had several really bad days with my back and stayed home as much as possible. Then yesterday, Sunday, I was very sick. I woke up with a stomach ache early in the morning. I ended up vomiting and having diarrhea for about ten hours. I had to call in to church for my four year old's class where Eric was already subbing for my co-teacher. I felt like I could go until I started violently vomiting then I knew I needed to stay home. Eric and Makenzie went to church and then went to visit some friends of ours for lunch and some playtime for Makenzie and their daughter. I was glad that I was home by myself not spreading my germs to them. After I got some pedialyte in me at about five pm I started feeling much better. I woke up this morning with my neck and shoulders being sore, but other than that I'm doing fine. Now it's almost 10am and Makenzie hasn't woken up yet. Guess I better go get her up and get our day started. I'll post again after our appointment on Wednesday.

Second Trimester-Week 17

I'm excited to say that I am feeling much better! I've had about three "good" days with my back following one where I almost couldn't walk. So, I'm excited about that. I still have to take it easy and not overdue it. Our last check up was the week of Christmas and everything was fine. We weren't able to see the baby's gender because of the way it was positioned but hopefully we'll know it about two weeks. Our next appointment in on the 19th of January. We are very excited and I am extremely obsessed with getting started on the nursery. I spend a lot of time every day looking at bedding, art work, and all things baby!

Putting it out there...

So, I'm afraid. I'm afraid to be one of the one in four pregnancies that ends in miscarriage. I can NOT get this thought out of my head. It has haunted me since before I got pregnant. I didn't realize until this year just how prevalent miscarriage is and I'm terrified. I don't know why I'm so afraid. Obviously I would survive it, right? Lots of women do. Or would it be such a debilitating loss that I wouldn't survive? Would I be forever changed? Am I strong enough to survive it like so many of my dear friends have?
Not to mention my back pain that is probably the result of a bulging disc that will likely herniate during labor and delivery, assuming I make it that far.
Why can't I be like my husband with his worry free attitude and amazing faith? He worries about NOTHING. He believes that worrying is a waste of time. I couldn't agree more, but I don't know how to stop. It's like I'm addicted to worrying.
I'm praying everyday for this child's health and development. I'm also praying that I stop worrying so much about the "what ifs." Please pray for me too.

Second Trimester-13 weeks

I'm feeling so much better! No more vomiting and limited nausea. However my back is KILLING me. I can't walk/stand/sit for more than 20 minutes or so. For example, today I went to three stores and by the end of it I was hurting badly. I felt this way at the END of my pregnancy with Makenzie so I'm disappointed to already be feeling this way. I would love to see my chiropractor to get some help but our medical bills are already piling up!
Recently Makenzie has began asking questions about the baby. When I'm eating she asks me if the baby likes what I'm eating or drinking. She is constantly asking what the baby's name is. We only have a boy name picked out and we don't know the gender yet. So she says, "Well if it's a boy his name is Parker." She asked to feel the baby yesterday. It was so cute for her to put her hand on my tummy and try to feel the baby.
I haven't noticed my tummy getting bigger yet. However, I have been wearing maternity clothes just to avoid anything pushing on my nauseated stomach. I did feel the baby move yesterday! It felt like it was kicking me! It was awesome! Can't wait to find out what we're having and to really start "feeling" pregnant.

First Trimester-Ten Weeks

I'm in my tenth week of pregnancy and I'm starting to feel better. I began taking Prilosec OTC a few days ago and it has helped tremendously with my heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. I don't know why it helps with the nausea and vomiting, but who cares. At least I'm not throwing up everyday and feeling like I'd rather not get out of bed. I have been much less busy lately. Makenzie and I are only doing one or two activities per week and spending a lot more time at home.
I can hardly wait for next Wednesday. I have my first official OB appointment. My last appointment was considered an emergency and was because of my bleeding. I'm hoping to get great news and hopefully see a strong and healthy little baby growing. I can feel my uterus getting bigger and I've been wearing maternity pants for about a week because I can't stand to have anything tight around my stomach. They are a little too big for now, but it's really all I have in the way of winter clothes so it really works out just fine.
After my appointment next week I'm going to post all of these saved up blogs I've been doing over the past few weeks. I'm excited to hear everyone's response. I think several of my close friends have an idea that something is going on and may even suspect pregnancy, but I'm not sure. I'm so ready for the great news to be out there. We are really excited about adding another person to our family.

First Trimester-Nine weeks

So, I had two great days of no throwing up...and then today came and I was sick again. I'm getting better at eating less and often. It has not been easy to feel sick all the time and pretend like nothing is going on. I can hardly wait to tell people so maybe I'll get some sympathy!

First Trimester Scare

So only a few days after my seven weeks post I began spotting. I'd never experienced anything like that and I was terrified! Of course it didn't happen until 10:30 at night and wasn't enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. So I was at the doctor's office shortly after they opened the following morning. My doctor was out of town and I had to be worked in to see another doctor in the practice. After a physical exam and sonogram we were relieved to see a healthy baby with perfect heartbeat. There is no explanation as to why I was bleeding and the doctor informed me that it could continue for a week. So this is the end of that week and I'm still spotting. No other symptoms to speak of and hopefully it will stay that way. I'll see my doctor in either two or four weeks depending on my symptoms. For the first time in the short pregnancy I'm happy to feel like crap because that confirms that I'm still pregnant. Never thought I'd be happy to have nausea and vomiting. I must say that this experience has reinforced how much I want this pregnancy and how much I want to enjoy every moment I have left with Makenzie as an only child. I know that our lives are going to change dramatically over the next few months and especially when the child is born. I want so much to relish every moment with her and reinforce that she's not being replaced. I know she is going to be such a big helper, a great big sister, and I look forward to the bond between her and her sibling.
I am believing in God that this pregnancy is going to continue safely. If it doesn't, He will be with me through it.

First Trimester-Seven Weeks

This may be an announcement for some. Eric and I are expecting our second child! We are very excited. We have managed to not tell anyone and are going to try and keep it that way until Thanksgiving. I'll be almost twelve weeks at that point and it'll be safe to tell everyone. Plus we want to announce it with Makenzie wearing a "big sister" t-shirt. I can't wait for everyone's reactions. Especially my parents since we were just at their house and I managed to not tell them. I'm not very good at keeping secrets. I'm writing this as a memoir of how I'm feeling and how my pregnancy is progressing.

Oh, first trimester how I loath you! Although you are the messenger of great news that I am expecting a second child. I remember feeling slightly nauseous with a LOT of heartburn when I was pregnant with Makenzie. This time around I am feeling worse and worse everyday. Today, October 25th, I am seven weeks pregnant. Today I've thrown up twice and yesterday we had to pull over on the side of the highway for me to throw up on the way home from my parents house. I've been napping almost daily for the past month even before I found out I was pregnant. I have little to no motivation to do anything but lay on the couch. My temper is short and my patience is very low. It's much harder this time around having to take care of a child instead of just going to work. When I was pregnant with Makenzie I worked a high pace and high stress job so I didn't have much time to think about not feeling well. It seems that now all I do is think about how awful I feel. I'm working hard at eating healthier, slower, and more often as a way to curb my nausea and vomiting. I was only sick once with Makenzie and I've already been sick three times in two days this time around. My mother was sick through her first trimester with both of my brothers and was only sick with me once.

Trying to Conceive

So, apparently planning a pregnancy can turn a woman into a crazy person. I'm so concerned with conceiving NOW that I won't let my sweet and extremely exhausted husband sleep! He told me today that he was up for over 20 hours yesterday and that he needed a nap. He will indulge me later. We weren't trying when we got pregnant with our first and it never occurred to me what a miracle it was. There is not a big window of time to get pregnant in. So, I feel like I'm 'begging' my husband to impregnate me. It's really weird and actually VERY stressful. I thought it might be fun to plan the second. The only fun part is not being completely caught off guard. At least we are expecting to get pregnant this time around. By the way this is our first month of officially trying so it will be a while before I post anything about actually being pregnant. We are very practical and will wait the recommended twelve weeks before telling anyone other than family. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this exciting time in our lives.