Pregnancy Q&A

I have not posted about this pregnancy except to announce it so I figured now is the time to do my usual pregnancy Q&A post. Thirty-three weeks is a little late to do this so this will just be a catch-all post for all things pregnancy related up to this point.

1. Did you just find out? Once again, currently 33 weeks (due August 29th). So no. I took four pregnancy tests in December but I kept taking them too early. On December 23rd, I had a faint line on the pregnancy test that made me think, "Maybe?" I took another test on December 26th and the result was, "Definitely."

2. How are you feeling? I was sick in January with a really bad cough. Every time I coughed, the mucus would gag me and I would almost puke. I also had a few weeks where absolutely nothing sounded good to me. That was not a very fun time. Now I am just feeling large.

3. Do you know what you're having? Yes! I was 17 weeks along and Sam came home at lunch to watch the boys so I could go to my appointment. Before I left, he said, "This isn't an ultrasound appointment or anything, is it?" I said no and left. When I saw the doctor, she said, "Seventeen weeks. Do you want to see if we can tell the sex?" I was trying to be strong but I gave in. The plan was for her to write it down and put it in an envelope. But she just kept searching and searching and I said, "It's a girl, isn't it?" She confirmed, with 95% confidence. I had another ultrasound at 20 weeks where the doctor was even more confident it is a girl. At 22 weeks, I had an ultrasound with an technician and she confirmed it is a girl, with 100% confidence.

4. Was this an accident? It was an accident that this is a August baby. We thought it would take two months to get pregnant and planned to have a September baby. But then I got pregnant the first month we tried. So I am hoping to go a few days overdue so I can still get my September baby.

5. Did you record when you found out? No, because we were pretty sure I was pregnant and it seemed a little anticlimactic to record.

6. How far apart will Declan and this baby be? If she comes around her due date, she and Declan will be roughly three years and four months apart. By far the biggest gap between any of my kids. Alex and Edison are 20 months apart, Edison and Declan are 25 months apart.

7. Does this baby have an "in utero" name? Sadly, no. We call her Baby Sister sometimes. Sam and I use her name on occasion.

8. So what is her name?! It is unofficial right now. When I got home from the ultrasound at 17 weeks, I told Sam it was a girl and then said, "So are we naming her [blank]." It was decided. But then I started having second thoughts. It is an unusual name, it isn't even English. But I have loved the name since Sam and I were dating. We initially wanted to save it for the child we would adopt from China but adoption is pretty unlikely for us now. I just hope it is not too weird for other people to pronounce. Or we might go with something else. We have seven weeks to figure it out!

9. Are you nervous? I have been so busy this entire pregnancy that the delivery has not really been on my mind. But the past few days I have started getting paranoid about losing the baby so late in the pregnancy. I just want her to be here. My doctor has been very hands-off this entire pregnancy so I have no reassurance that the baby's growth is on track.

10. Are you just going to keep popping out babies until you're 35? I hope not. But I am also fairly confident this is not our last child. I was expecting to feel judged for having so many kids (the horror!) but I haven't felt judged at all. I am excited and everyone else seems excited as well.

11. Did you want a boy or a girl? I would have been fine either way. Honestly. But when I walked in and told Sam that it was a girl, he cried. He was so happy. I am excited to see him with a daughter.

12. Is it twins? I wish. I prayed for twins. But it isn't in the cards (or the womb) for me.

13. Why did you wait so long to announce it? I wanted it to be private for a while. I cannot stand people talking to me about nothing but the pregnancy. Then I just got lazy and kept not announcing it.  I had been asked to go on our stake's pioneer trek as a Ma. When I was called, I was nine weeks along. I figured out that I would be 29 weeks on the Trek but I was concerned that they would kick me off if they learned I had a passenger in my belly. Eventually it became more difficult to hide it than it was to announce it so I finally made it public. I was showing and friends could tell but I did not announce it on social media until 25 weeks.

14. When did you tell the boys? We told the boys in March, I was 15 weeks along. I was only 10 weeks along when I was standing in the kitchen and Alex said, "It looks like your belly is getting bigger like you're going to have a baby or something." Three days later, Declan asked me, "Is there a baby in your belly?" Edison followed up Declan's question by saying, "You have to eat a ton of food to get a baby in your belly!"

15. What have been some differences between this pregnancy and your others? I cannot remember a lot from my other pregnancies. I think some similarities are that I am tired. Very tired. I cannot find a way to motivate myself to do things so things have been sitting on my to do list for months. A difference is that I am still seriously working out. I am currently teaching four classes a week which is down from the 14 classes I was teaching when I first got pregnant. But those four classes are high intensity. I am still in pretty good shape, just a little rounder. But I take every opportunity for a nap. However, at this point, a nap means I am awake until around 3am.

16. Have you gained weight? I have gained all of the weight. There is no more weight to gain because I already gained it all (if only). I am already up 24 pounds.

17. Where will this baby be born? Houston, Texas! A new state for our family. Sam was born in Utah, I was born in Arizona, Alex was born in Ohio, Edison was born in New York, and Declan was born in North Dakota.

18. Will you have the baby in the hospital again? If we make it there in time. I initially wanted to have a midwife. I met with a midwife and loved her. I loved the birthing center. But it was out-of-network for my insurance. I appealed but was denied. Paying double the cost just for a midwife did not seem worth it. I am hoping to do this naturally without an induction because labor was so smooth with Declan.

19. What have you been craving? Sweet things. Especially fruit on ice cream. 

20. Does she move a lot? I first felt movement at 16 weeks. And it has not really stopped since. I feel like the movement has peaked this week. She is supposedly about 4.5 pounds but she still has room to move around so she is flipping and jabbing any time I sit still.

21. Are you sleeping well? Ehhh. I sleep really well during the day but not very well at night. I wake up on my back almost every morning which I remember hearing is no bueno. Oops.

22. Are you having leg pain like you did with Declan? No, and hallelujah! I have been going to the chiropractor every two weeks since 13 weeks and it has made an enormous difference in my pregnancy.

Here are some random notes I have been keeping in my phone throughout the pregnancy:

1/1 {5 weeks} I feel empty. Uh oh. Did I exercise too hard?

1/2 {5 weeks} I will never be pretty again. I will never have enough energy to take a shower or do my hair.

1/3 {5 weeks} I hate remembering my dreams. Last night I dreamed my little brother committed suicide and I woke up and couldn't remember if it was a dream or reality. The whole day I was feeling sick to my stomach.

1/6 {6 weeks} Nothing sounds good to me. I wake up hungry and think of one thing that sounds good. I eat it all day long and then even the thought of it makes me nauseous.

1/8 {6 weeks} It is so hard to go to the gym and act like everything is fine and dandy. I want to stay home and sleep and not smell anything. Instead I go push myself hard (but hopefully not too hard) and I have to do it all with a smile.

1/11 {7 weeks} I worked out for two and a half hours and taught three classes today. I got home and was craving Zuppa Toscana so badly. I placed a to go order and Sam picked it up. Olive Garden has never tasted so good.

1/15 {7 weeks} I can no longer trust if my body is telling me it's hungry or not.

1/22 {8 weeks} Every time I see a friend, Sam asks, "Did you tell her you're pregnant?" So far no one but the receptionist at the doctor's office knows.

1/23 {8 weeks} An old Vietnamese lady at the gym yesterday "read my palm." Apparently I am going to have boy, boy, boy, girl. Or maybe four boys and then a girl since the boys will be the legs of the table and the girl will be the princess on top. She doesn't know I am pregnant so it was interesting.

1/24 {8 weeks} I told my Mom tonight. I was telling her how excited I am to be a Ma on our stake trek and I said, "I hope I don't get excluded for medical purposes since I will be 29 weeks along at that point." She was so excited. She reminded me that I am child #4 in our family which makes me think this baby is going to be awesome. Mom and Dad enter the MTC tomorrow.

1/28 {9 weeks} Sam has done all of the laundry and all of the dishes for the past month. I am doing the bare minimum.

2/4 {10 weeks} Did I overeat or am I starving? I can't tell.

2/7 {10 weeks} I just realized we are supposed to be living in Brazil. We hoped to be living there by the Olympics. Terrifying but I am so grateful to not be there right now with all of the Zika virus business going around. Funny how we thought things were not working out and it took five years so see there was a greater plan.

2/10 {11 weeks} I do not have many friends with four kids to refer to for how this is going to go. I remember hearing before my first was born that the third kid is usually very chill and my experience held true to that. What can I look forward to with my fourth?! Also, four kids?! How did that happen?! I am still a kid myself.

2/15 {12 weeks} I feel amazing and productive. Maybe I won't be a deadbeat mom for the rest of eternity after all!

2/25 {13 weeks} First doctor appointment and I had an ultrasound! Heart rate was 155 BPM and swimming pretty. I was so happy to see he/she was in there because I started to think I was imagining the pregnancy.

3/7 {15 weeks} We told the boys tonight. They are so excited! We asked them to keep it private so we will see how long that lasts.

3/8 {15 weeks} Declan told the child care workers at the gym. He was playing with a baby doll and said, "My mommy has a baby in her belly but it's too small to come out."

3/9 {15 weeks} I made it through Turbo Kick just fine and then sneezed in the parking lot and peed my pants.

3/14 {16 weeks} If I weren't so busy trying to hide my pregnant belly I would forget that I am even pregnant. Last week I thought I felt the baby move but today I felt it repeatedly and definitely.

3/16 {16 weeks} I told Michelle today. She thinks I am crazy for not telling people.

3/20 {16 weeks} Sam told his parents tonight.

4/12 {20 weeks} Heart rate 150 BPM.

5/4 {23 weeks} Alex said, "I hope our baby doesn't turn out nocturnal." Ditto, kid.

5/16 {25 weeks} Declan said, "I don't know what to name your baby. I think Crapachu would be good."

5/31 {27 weeks} Funny that I thought some of my shirts would work as maternity shirts. Nope. I am big.

6/7 {28 weeks} Is this heartburn?

6/18 {29 weeks} Home from the trek. It was so incredible! But very, very hot.

6/21 {30 weeks} I was protected on the Trek. Another stake went on a trek this week and a Ma did not survive. We walked those same seven miles just six days before.

6/25 {30 weeks} I cannot get a full breath of air.

6/29 {31 weeks} Someone at the gym said to me, "Every time I see you you've doubled in size!"