14

Good-bye first trimester and hello second! I really am hoping that the second trimester is truly uneventful--we have more than enough adventure in the first three months to carry us through the entire pregnancy. Still, the second trimester, which is supposed to be just glorious and the best of the three...pretty much terrifies me. I never made it OUT of the second trimester with the girls. But we sure are hoping and praying that we make it well into the third trimester this time around.

Pretty please? With chocolate on top?

As far as where we stand, my appointment with my OB on Monday at 13wk5d went well. It was actually rather boring (which we love), and maybe even a little disappointing. We heard the baby's heartbeat on the doppler, but didn't have an ultrasound which made me a little sad. After such a rocky start, I was getting quite used to the weekly ultrasounds!

I peed in a cup, stood on a scale (which has remained in the same spot for 3 weeks now), they took my blood pressure and measured my fundal height (which btw, I didn't even ask for the numbers on either one...aren't you proud of me?), and that was that. Dr. P then stood in front of me after the whole 5 minute visit and said, 

"Questions?" 

Ah, the man knows me well. So as not to disappoint, I released about 5 questions in rapid fire succession...all to which he had to answer equally as fast because in the middle of question 3 he was paged to deliver a baby via emergency c-section and had to leave IMMEDIATELY. 

I officially off of work and on maternity disability. Crying silent tears here. I didn't make it much further this time and that was a little disappointing. I have actually had some really good days where my uterus is very calm and quiet. But then there are other days, more like parts of days, where it is just rock solid nearly all the time and crampy during the inbetweens. My doctor's words about me and work? Classic quote...

"Well, we all know your anatomy sucks. So, whatever we can do to help it along."

I guess it's good we're all on the same page and we feel comfortable with the facts. 

So now I am to spend my days on modified bedrest--spending a lot of time with the weight completely off my cervix (so lying on my side) and listening to my body when I am up and about. If I start cramping and contracting, I am to drink a glass of water and lay down for an hour.

This might sound like heaven to you all, but have you tried parenting from the couch? Working from the couch? All while lying on your side?

Not. So. Easy.

And not to mentioned frustrating, because when you're down and not supposed to get up, you can't go help wipe a tushy, make a snack, fix a boo-boo, scoop a crying little one, run those errands, get the laundry going...the list goes on and on. That's the hard part. Instinct tells you to react...but you can't. And when I don't listen to my body, my uterus gets super cranky and who know what that is doing to my cervix. So I live for the moments when everything is calm in there...and like a whirlwind, I do about as much as possible in short bursts...hoping to finish before the crankiness comes back.

My next appointment is in two weeks on 10/25. It will have been a month since my last ultrasound, so I certainly hope to get to see this little one again! I also have my first cervical evaluation on 10/29...two ultrasounds in one week? Aaaaaah, that's more like it!

Seriously, I couldn't be a normal preggo even if I tried!