This time around

I am in the first weeks of my second trimester and this pregnancy has been very different than when I was pregnant with Gabriella. With Gabriella, I was sick through the entire first trimester; I also had a sub-chorionic hemorrhage which led to countless emergency exams, time spent off my feet, and a lot of worry. Compared to all of that, this first trimester has been a breeze. I had very little nausea and the small amount that I did seemed to peak around week 8 and then fade away. My biggest complaint has been that I feel exhausted! Obviously I have a toddler this time around but I also am waking up a lot more frequently through the night and waking up really early in the mornings. You can find me dozing on the couch by 9 most nights! 

I have no idea if these differences mean that this baby is a boy or if it's simply a different, and perhaps healthier, pregnancy. Entering the second trimester was definitely emotional; I never made it past the end of the second trimester with Gabriella so I have had moments of feeling scared. We had our first appointment with the high risk specialists at Maternal-Fetal Medicine and as they talked to us about their thoughts and plans to give me the best chance for a full term pregnancy, the realization that this isn't a "normal" pregnancy hit. They are certainly optimistic and the baby is growing perfectly, however they are cautious and taking extra precautions with me. In 3 weeks I will be seen weekly until the baby is born. We feel very comfortable with our team and agree with the plan. It's comforting to know that we have a lot of different eyes on me, but nerve wracking nonetheless. 

For now, I am enjoying feeling good and focusing on how much better I feel this time around. We continue to be optimistic that this little one will stay put!! 

xo,

Mary

Coming soon....

We are happy to announce that Gabriella will be a big sister in March!! I will do a longer post on the pregnancy but so far I feel great and the baby is growing perfectly! 

22 months update

Gabriella is two short months away from being a 2 year old! Where does the time go??? It truly feels like in the blink of an eye, she has changed from a tiny baby to a little girl. 

Her vocabulary has really developed this summer and she has begun stringing words together in small sentences. She makes her dolls do things like dance, jump, and eat and comforts them by saying "there, there" which is the cutest thing ever. She calls herself "Dabby" or "Bella" and can name almost all of her family members and friends. When we say her prayers at night, she always makes sure we include the pets of all of our family members  (2 dogs, 5 cats, and 2 Guinea pigs) which always makes me laugh! 

She loves helping around the house and has some "chores" that she loves doing. She sweeps the kitchen floor with a little broom, helps feed the cat, and helps dust. 

I think the biggest challenge we've had with this age has been starting to enforce rules and discipline. Like every 2 year old, she has started testing boundaries but so far short time outs work. As parents it's really hard to not laugh things off (even when they are funny!) or shrug it off because she's our sweet little baby but we know that having rules will make her a happier girl!

She has a bunch of appointments coming up as she turns 2:  follow up for her eyes, her 2 year well child appointment, her first dental visit, and her final NICU follow up appointment. We think she's doing great in all areas so we expect good visits :) 

Have a good Wednesday!

xo,

Mary