Yesterday, during the early hours of the morning, I felt uncomfortable and started having cramps. When I eventually got up for the day, the cramping hadn't subsided and accompanying the worrying aches, was nausea. I was reluctant to give my doctor a call as I would hate to be perceived as an over anxious pregnant woman, but at my husband's persistence, I decided to give him a call. After asking about my symptoms, he said I was to go to his offices and he would fit me in. He needed to measure my cervix to determine if I was possibly going into pre-term labour.
Now pre-term labour isn't what you want to hear at any stage of your pregnancy, but especially not as early as 22 weeks! We quickly got ready and went to his offices. Luckily he only kept us waiting for about 15 minutes and then he took us in. After an internal scan, he said that my cervix was fine - I have never been so relieved to hear news about my cervix! He then did a quick external scan to check the baby's heartbeat and did a few measurements and everything is going according to schedule and looks healthy. What a relief!
He attributed the aches and cramps to ligament stretching and growth. I'm not sure what attributed to the nausea, perhaps it was coincidental. Nevertheless, I took it extremely easy yesterday, lying down when Lily went to sleep and just relaxing as much as is humanly possible with a busy toddler running about. Murphy's Law this would happen while my domestic worker is on leave so I had no-one to alleviate the busyness of a toddler!
Today I've experienced a cramp or two, but honestly feel so much better. Perhaps it was a sign to slow down a little and to realise that I am in fact pregnant. It is easy to forget when you are running around after your 19 month old and get swept away in the craziness of our daily routine. We have now extended our next scan by 2 weeks so will only see Baby Boy A mid-January... Can't wait!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Cutest thing!
Lily is truly the cutest little thing at the moment. She is like a sponge - copying everything we say and do and just absorbing it all. This morning she did the cutest little thing... She watched me pick up my bag and sunglasses for our little visit to the shops so she immediately said "glasses" and reached for her own little pair. I gave them to her and she promptly put them on and walked to the door!
Usually the glasses are on for a few seconds, but today, she wanted to officially wear them on our journey. I just had to take a photograph - it was too precious! Just loving this age! She is a true little character and I fall more and more in love with her every single day.
Usually the glasses are on for a few seconds, but today, she wanted to officially wear them on our journey. I just had to take a photograph - it was too precious! Just loving this age! She is a true little character and I fall more and more in love with her every single day.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Damn mosquitoes!
It is that time of year again when the wind, sunshine and heat arrives and along with all those weather elements, comes the dreaded mosquitoes. Last year Lily was bitten by mosquitoes and had horrendous outbreaks on her little face. Now, two days ago, she was bitten again and has come out in severe welts on both her little arms and her one leg! Poor baby looks terrible and so incredibly sore and itchy!
I took her to the doctor this morning and we got a prescription for a steroid syrup to alleviate the itchiness and to hopefully reduce the swelling. I also got an anti histamine to help with any discomfort. Luckily I haven't noticed her scratching too much, however, just before I put her down for her midday nap, I saw her scratching at the one welt on the bottom of her little leg. My heart just aches for her! I wish I could take it all away and have the mosquitoes biting me instead.
Needless to say, her mosquito net is now back over her cot, her insect repellent stickers are stuck on her cot's panels and I'm off to the shop to buy some more Target spray for the passage outside her room. I'm nuking these damn mosquitoes with a vengeance!
I took her to the doctor this morning and we got a prescription for a steroid syrup to alleviate the itchiness and to hopefully reduce the swelling. I also got an anti histamine to help with any discomfort. Luckily I haven't noticed her scratching too much, however, just before I put her down for her midday nap, I saw her scratching at the one welt on the bottom of her little leg. My heart just aches for her! I wish I could take it all away and have the mosquitoes biting me instead.
Needless to say, her mosquito net is now back over her cot, her insect repellent stickers are stuck on her cot's panels and I'm off to the shop to buy some more Target spray for the passage outside her room. I'm nuking these damn mosquitoes with a vengeance!
 | |
| Proof of the severe reaction my baby experienced :( |
Monday, December 5, 2011
My 2 pregnancies so far
I thought I would do a little comparison of my pregnancy with Lily and my pregnancy with her baby brother up to this stage:
The dreaded weight gain:
I started off heavier with Lily than I did with this pregnancy, however, I'm definitely putting on weight faster this time round. I essentially weighed 2kg less at the start of this pregnancy than I weighed at the start of my first pregnancy, but at almost 21 weeks, I weigh exactly the same as I did with Lily. To date I have gained a dreaded 6kg and hope it slows down! However, having said that, this is probably my last pregnancy so I kind of have the mindset of why not enjoy it, eat the delicious foods I usually avoid as I'm going to gain weight anyway! I can worry about it once the baby has arrived.
Maternity clothes:
With both pregnancies I have been relatively lucky in the fact that I've carried small. I think both of my babies like to lie in my bum area versus the traditional stomach, but as a result, I haven't had to wear maternity clothes too early in my pregnancy. With Lily my clothes started getting snug at around 22 weeks, however, the first time I wore any actual maternity clothes, I was 24 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy has found my clothes getting tighter much quicker at around the 19 week mark and today, just 2 days shy of 21 weeks, I am wearing my comfortable maternity jeans. I don't know what it is that makes me reluctant to relent and wear the more comfy pregnancy clothing - perhaps vanity? I have now realised I would rather be comfortable than walking around in this heat, pulling in a stomach that doesn't react to being pulled in and having to unbutton my pants every time I sit down!
Baby movement:
With Lily I only began to feel movement at around 18 weeks, whereas with this pregnancy, I felt the first flutters at about 16 weeks. They say that this is usually the case with the second pregnancy as you know what to feel for.
How I've been feeling:
With both my pregnancies I was exceptionally nauseous during the first trimester, although I didn't actually vomited. I also went off meat and chicken entirely and craved carbohydrates which my doctor said is best for the nausea. Obviously my body knew that! The nausea, if I remember correctly, seemed to last longer in my first pregnancy than my second, however, my second pregnancy has seen me being far more agitated and exhausted. Perhaps it is due to me looking after a toddler whereas I could relax and take things easy during my pregnancy with Lily. I also remember suffering from back pain during my first trimester with Lily - something I've gratefully been spared this time around. My hubby seems to think I'm far moodier this time round than I was with Lily... This is something I don't care to confirm or deny :)
Otherwise, I don't see too many distinct differences in these pregnancies despite the fact that I'm expecting a different sex this time round. I pray that this pregnancy continues to go smoothly and echoes my first pregnancy in terms of my health, the baby's health and my overall well being.
The dreaded weight gain:
I started off heavier with Lily than I did with this pregnancy, however, I'm definitely putting on weight faster this time round. I essentially weighed 2kg less at the start of this pregnancy than I weighed at the start of my first pregnancy, but at almost 21 weeks, I weigh exactly the same as I did with Lily. To date I have gained a dreaded 6kg and hope it slows down! However, having said that, this is probably my last pregnancy so I kind of have the mindset of why not enjoy it, eat the delicious foods I usually avoid as I'm going to gain weight anyway! I can worry about it once the baby has arrived.
Maternity clothes:
With both pregnancies I have been relatively lucky in the fact that I've carried small. I think both of my babies like to lie in my bum area versus the traditional stomach, but as a result, I haven't had to wear maternity clothes too early in my pregnancy. With Lily my clothes started getting snug at around 22 weeks, however, the first time I wore any actual maternity clothes, I was 24 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy has found my clothes getting tighter much quicker at around the 19 week mark and today, just 2 days shy of 21 weeks, I am wearing my comfortable maternity jeans. I don't know what it is that makes me reluctant to relent and wear the more comfy pregnancy clothing - perhaps vanity? I have now realised I would rather be comfortable than walking around in this heat, pulling in a stomach that doesn't react to being pulled in and having to unbutton my pants every time I sit down!
Baby movement:
With Lily I only began to feel movement at around 18 weeks, whereas with this pregnancy, I felt the first flutters at about 16 weeks. They say that this is usually the case with the second pregnancy as you know what to feel for.
How I've been feeling:
With both my pregnancies I was exceptionally nauseous during the first trimester, although I didn't actually vomited. I also went off meat and chicken entirely and craved carbohydrates which my doctor said is best for the nausea. Obviously my body knew that! The nausea, if I remember correctly, seemed to last longer in my first pregnancy than my second, however, my second pregnancy has seen me being far more agitated and exhausted. Perhaps it is due to me looking after a toddler whereas I could relax and take things easy during my pregnancy with Lily. I also remember suffering from back pain during my first trimester with Lily - something I've gratefully been spared this time around. My hubby seems to think I'm far moodier this time round than I was with Lily... This is something I don't care to confirm or deny :)
Otherwise, I don't see too many distinct differences in these pregnancies despite the fact that I'm expecting a different sex this time round. I pray that this pregnancy continues to go smoothly and echoes my first pregnancy in terms of my health, the baby's health and my overall well being.
Friday, December 2, 2011
20 week fetal assessment
So we are officially just over 20 weeks pregnant and had our 2nd fetal assessment scan this morning. Baby A #2 is still a boy by the look of things (STILL getting my head around this idea!) and he weighs 332g. We couldn't get a nice length measurement as he wasn't very cooperative and was lying with his back facing my stomach (he is facing my back) and then decided to do some gymnastics and was in all kinds of weird positions.
Everything looks normal with the pregnancy which is always such a relief. I've been going to the toilet far too much though so the doctor is sending my urine off for further testing just in case there is a UTI present. In the mean time, bless the doctor, he has prescribed some Aterax for me to help me sleep. Lately I haven't been sleeping well and I am not sure whether to attribute my lack of sleep to my hundred toilet visits or attribute my toilet visits to my lack of sleep (and me then thinking I need the toilet when in fact that's not really the case).
I had to laugh, the doctor said it MUST be a boy as he had his hand between his legs. Yes, the touching and fiddling in that area starts in utero!
I cannot believe that we are half way to meeting our little prince. I cannot even begin to imagine what he is going to look like and often try to picture his little face. I'm assuming he will have lots of dark hair like his sister and cousin Noa and of course he will be beautiful. The doctor reckons he has quite a long nose so we shall see.
I am still managing to fit into my normal clothes and have been avoiding my maternity clothes as much as possible, although the button on my jeans does get undone near the end of the day! I think it will be a matter of days before I relent and go for the more comfy clothes! Weight wise, I am gaining much faster than I did with Lily and although it is a relative concern, I also feel like this could possibly be my last pregnancy and why not enjoy eating the odd indulgence while I'm getting fat anyway! So I'm not going to stress too much and just let nature take its course. I'm now off to wolf down some lunch!
Everything looks normal with the pregnancy which is always such a relief. I've been going to the toilet far too much though so the doctor is sending my urine off for further testing just in case there is a UTI present. In the mean time, bless the doctor, he has prescribed some Aterax for me to help me sleep. Lately I haven't been sleeping well and I am not sure whether to attribute my lack of sleep to my hundred toilet visits or attribute my toilet visits to my lack of sleep (and me then thinking I need the toilet when in fact that's not really the case).
I had to laugh, the doctor said it MUST be a boy as he had his hand between his legs. Yes, the touching and fiddling in that area starts in utero!
I cannot believe that we are half way to meeting our little prince. I cannot even begin to imagine what he is going to look like and often try to picture his little face. I'm assuming he will have lots of dark hair like his sister and cousin Noa and of course he will be beautiful. The doctor reckons he has quite a long nose so we shall see.
I am still managing to fit into my normal clothes and have been avoiding my maternity clothes as much as possible, although the button on my jeans does get undone near the end of the day! I think it will be a matter of days before I relent and go for the more comfy clothes! Weight wise, I am gaining much faster than I did with Lily and although it is a relative concern, I also feel like this could possibly be my last pregnancy and why not enjoy eating the odd indulgence while I'm getting fat anyway! So I'm not going to stress too much and just let nature take its course. I'm now off to wolf down some lunch!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
19 months old
Today I watched my little angel playing at her Top Tots group with a sense of nostalgia... As I keep saying in almost every update I post, it was like yesterday that she was a floppy, helpless little being who required every second of my attention (when she wasn't sleeping of course) and now she is a determined, happy, entertaining, gorgeous little 19 month old!
Lily is really such a blessing and I look forward to seeing her smiling face every single morning. She is honestly a happy little thing who greets me as I open her door with a "morning" or "hello". Truly heart melting! As I've said before, her vocabulary increases by the day and it seems like I only have to tell her something once and she is like a sponge - soaks it all in AND retains the information as well. Such a proud mommy over here!
Some cute little things to note is that she battles to start a word with the letter "f". So a frog is a "rog" and a "phone" is a "wofe" for example. She also can't quite grasp the pronunciation of monkey. Instead Lily's version of the word is "monic"! I can't help but giggle every time I hear it.
I'm still battling with Lily's eating habits, making meal times a true challenge in terms of actually getting anything down as well as controlling my frustration levels. Vegetables are a no-no, but sometimes I manage to get her to eat a veggie finger or two and I've also resorted to making flapjacks with hidden pureed cauliflower and butternut in the mixture. She isn't a fan though - think she has cottoned on to the fact that they're not quite "legitimate" flapjacks. She does however love sausage, apples and cheese. Yoghurt used to be a favourite, something I could rely on, but sadly no longer... I'm really hoping that her eating habits improve soon so I can rest assured that my little angel is getting the nutrition she needs.
Sleep wise Lily is still a little super star giving mommy a much needed great night's sleep. She sleeps from 7:30pm to either 7am or 7:30am. I'm going to enjoy it for the next 5.5 months before baby #2 arrives! And as I type this, she has woken up from her midday nap, after only napping for half an hour!!! I don't know why, but better run...
Lily is really such a blessing and I look forward to seeing her smiling face every single morning. She is honestly a happy little thing who greets me as I open her door with a "morning" or "hello". Truly heart melting! As I've said before, her vocabulary increases by the day and it seems like I only have to tell her something once and she is like a sponge - soaks it all in AND retains the information as well. Such a proud mommy over here!
Some cute little things to note is that she battles to start a word with the letter "f". So a frog is a "rog" and a "phone" is a "wofe" for example. She also can't quite grasp the pronunciation of monkey. Instead Lily's version of the word is "monic"! I can't help but giggle every time I hear it.
I'm still battling with Lily's eating habits, making meal times a true challenge in terms of actually getting anything down as well as controlling my frustration levels. Vegetables are a no-no, but sometimes I manage to get her to eat a veggie finger or two and I've also resorted to making flapjacks with hidden pureed cauliflower and butternut in the mixture. She isn't a fan though - think she has cottoned on to the fact that they're not quite "legitimate" flapjacks. She does however love sausage, apples and cheese. Yoghurt used to be a favourite, something I could rely on, but sadly no longer... I'm really hoping that her eating habits improve soon so I can rest assured that my little angel is getting the nutrition she needs.
Sleep wise Lily is still a little super star giving mommy a much needed great night's sleep. She sleeps from 7:30pm to either 7am or 7:30am. I'm going to enjoy it for the next 5.5 months before baby #2 arrives! And as I type this, she has woken up from her midday nap, after only napping for half an hour!!! I don't know why, but better run...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Another overdue update
Wow, what a crazy last few weeks! Aunty Lou (or AunLou as Lily fondly calls her) had her precious baby girl 11 days early and my gorgeous, tiny niece, Noa, is here. She arrived on the 1st of November just before 9pm weighing 3.34kg. It goes without saying that there has been an abundance of excitement in the family as a result, and we have had Granny and Grandpa visiting from East London. Now that it is the 16th of November (AunLou's birthday!), things have quietened down and the grandparents have left... time for a little bit of an update.
Pregnancy update:
In 2 days time I will be 18 weeks pregnant. On the one hand, it seems like I have been pregnant for quite some time, whereas other days it feels like the 18 weeks have happened so extremely quickly. I can't be almost half way through this journey already can I? At my 16 week scan my doctor confirmed the Fetal Assessor's prediction that we are in fact still expecting a little boy. So the blue shopping and the name discussions can officially begin! At 17 weeks I started to feel movement and now I am definitely feeling an active little boy inside my tummy kicking and prodding away. Love it! Can't wait for the kicks to become more profound and identifiable. My next appointment is for my 20 week, 2nd fetal assessment scan. Looking forward to it.
Lily update:
Lily is quite a little munchkin! She is feisty, determined, knows what she wants, a true entertainer and loves being the center of attention. She makes me laugh on a daily basis (actually multiple times a day) and I often find myself staring at her in awe, wondering how she grew up so very quickly. There have been quite a few nostalgic moments of late comparing little Noa to Lily. They are so similar looking as newborns, but yet I can't remember Lily ever being that tiny... Time really has gone far too quickly.
Lily's vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds. I won't even begin to list the words she now says as we would be here for quite some time, but one of the funniest and cutest things to note is that she calls her Granny "Gig Gig" and her Grandpa "Gig Ga". I don't know where she gets those words from but obviously that's her pronunciation of her grandparents names. She also knows the dogs' names and calls them out perfectly - "Harley" and "Bella".
Lily was always such a great little eater and would ingest anything that came her way with much enthusiasm... Gone are those days! I find myself fighting with her just to get her to eat something nutritional. I have now resigned myself to the fact that this is a passing phase (here's hoping a phase that ends very soon) and that I just have to ensure she has her daily multivitamin to make up for the lack of nutrition she is consuming. Some days are better than others and some days are just plain frustrating. Luckily I can always rely on banana loaf (I kid myself into believing she is therefore getting her fruit quota), cheese and milk to fill her little belly for the moment.
On a positive note, her sleeping (touch wood) is truly amazing. She goes down perfectly for her afternoon and night time sleeps and she doesn't disturb in the night until the next morning when she wakes up at around 07h30. This morning she actually slept until after 08h30! I am going to enjoy these lie-ins as much as possible before baby #2 comes along! Long may it last.
So that's about it for this update. I will try to update sooner next time as there are so many cute, memory-worthy things going on in our household that it would be sad not to capture them before they're forgotten. After watching tiny little Noa, it is truly a harsh reminder at how quickly they grow up and how quickly we forget...
Pregnancy update:
In 2 days time I will be 18 weeks pregnant. On the one hand, it seems like I have been pregnant for quite some time, whereas other days it feels like the 18 weeks have happened so extremely quickly. I can't be almost half way through this journey already can I? At my 16 week scan my doctor confirmed the Fetal Assessor's prediction that we are in fact still expecting a little boy. So the blue shopping and the name discussions can officially begin! At 17 weeks I started to feel movement and now I am definitely feeling an active little boy inside my tummy kicking and prodding away. Love it! Can't wait for the kicks to become more profound and identifiable. My next appointment is for my 20 week, 2nd fetal assessment scan. Looking forward to it.
Lily update:
Lily is quite a little munchkin! She is feisty, determined, knows what she wants, a true entertainer and loves being the center of attention. She makes me laugh on a daily basis (actually multiple times a day) and I often find myself staring at her in awe, wondering how she grew up so very quickly. There have been quite a few nostalgic moments of late comparing little Noa to Lily. They are so similar looking as newborns, but yet I can't remember Lily ever being that tiny... Time really has gone far too quickly.
Lily's vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds. I won't even begin to list the words she now says as we would be here for quite some time, but one of the funniest and cutest things to note is that she calls her Granny "Gig Gig" and her Grandpa "Gig Ga". I don't know where she gets those words from but obviously that's her pronunciation of her grandparents names. She also knows the dogs' names and calls them out perfectly - "Harley" and "Bella".
Lily was always such a great little eater and would ingest anything that came her way with much enthusiasm... Gone are those days! I find myself fighting with her just to get her to eat something nutritional. I have now resigned myself to the fact that this is a passing phase (here's hoping a phase that ends very soon) and that I just have to ensure she has her daily multivitamin to make up for the lack of nutrition she is consuming. Some days are better than others and some days are just plain frustrating. Luckily I can always rely on banana loaf (I kid myself into believing she is therefore getting her fruit quota), cheese and milk to fill her little belly for the moment.
On a positive note, her sleeping (touch wood) is truly amazing. She goes down perfectly for her afternoon and night time sleeps and she doesn't disturb in the night until the next morning when she wakes up at around 07h30. This morning she actually slept until after 08h30! I am going to enjoy these lie-ins as much as possible before baby #2 comes along! Long may it last.
So that's about it for this update. I will try to update sooner next time as there are so many cute, memory-worthy things going on in our household that it would be sad not to capture them before they're forgotten. After watching tiny little Noa, it is truly a harsh reminder at how quickly they grow up and how quickly we forget...
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Overdue update
With home decor being the primary goings-on in our lives at the moment, our computer was unplugged and moved to a new location. It has taken some time, but we are now reconnected and I am able to do a quick update on how things are going in the Aufrichtig household.
The sleep training worked like a dream! It was the best money I have spent in a very long time and Lily was back to being an angel sleeper within 5 days. It wasn't as difficult as I had imagined - I just stuck to the rules that Lynn Woods had given me without faltering once. I literally followed her instructions to the minute and didn't let Lily's cries deter my determination to succeed. It has been 2 weeks since we started with the sleep training and you would never say that we ever experienced any issues. Lily now happily goes down to have both her midday and evening naps without as much as a "boo". I don't hear a thing unless she decides she would like to have a little chat to herself which is just too precious to hear.
Lily now goes to sleep at 7:30pm and usually wakes up just after 7am without any night time wakings. PERFECT! This pregnant mommy can recuperate after her hectic days running after an extremely busy toddler. I no longer feel exhausted and in need of sleep - we are all very happy in our space right now. Holding thumbs it lasts as I have no doubt it was all due to teething. Lily finally, at the age of 17 months, sprouted her 3rd and 4th teeth and I can see another 3 teeth about to make their appearance. That is 5 teeth trying to come through at one time. No wonder my poor baby was suffering!
Lily is learning new words at an incredible rate. She now counts to 5, says "bicik" for biscuit, "sausage", "milk", "bunny", "see you" when she waves goodbye, "Bella" or "Chi Chi" for the dogs, "bubbles", "ball", "I la" for I love you... And the list is growing. It is quite amazing how the two of us now communicate - I can understand so much more of what she wants and needs which assists with the levels of frustration for the both of us!
On a pregnancy note, I'm now 15 weeks pregnant and still sporting a relatively flat stomach. I haven't yet felt any movement although you are supposed to be able to feel it earlier 2nd time round. So I'm just waiting for those amazing first flutters to make themselves known. My jeans, although still loose, are definitely not AS loose as they were prior to falling pregnant so I have a feeling I'm going to carry the same way I carried with Lily - ALL in my behind and not much in my stomach. I suppose time will tell when this bump will make itself known but with Lily, it was only around the 24 week mark if I remember correctly.
My next scan is in a week's time and I can't wait to see our little baba. I am also very excited to hear whether my gynae is going to confirm the fetal assessment's sighting that we are in fact having a little boy. Once I've heard from him, I will be 100% convinced. Looking forward to it!
So all is well and happy in our little home :)
The sleep training worked like a dream! It was the best money I have spent in a very long time and Lily was back to being an angel sleeper within 5 days. It wasn't as difficult as I had imagined - I just stuck to the rules that Lynn Woods had given me without faltering once. I literally followed her instructions to the minute and didn't let Lily's cries deter my determination to succeed. It has been 2 weeks since we started with the sleep training and you would never say that we ever experienced any issues. Lily now happily goes down to have both her midday and evening naps without as much as a "boo". I don't hear a thing unless she decides she would like to have a little chat to herself which is just too precious to hear.
Lily now goes to sleep at 7:30pm and usually wakes up just after 7am without any night time wakings. PERFECT! This pregnant mommy can recuperate after her hectic days running after an extremely busy toddler. I no longer feel exhausted and in need of sleep - we are all very happy in our space right now. Holding thumbs it lasts as I have no doubt it was all due to teething. Lily finally, at the age of 17 months, sprouted her 3rd and 4th teeth and I can see another 3 teeth about to make their appearance. That is 5 teeth trying to come through at one time. No wonder my poor baby was suffering!
Lily is learning new words at an incredible rate. She now counts to 5, says "bicik" for biscuit, "sausage", "milk", "bunny", "see you" when she waves goodbye, "Bella" or "Chi Chi" for the dogs, "bubbles", "ball", "I la" for I love you... And the list is growing. It is quite amazing how the two of us now communicate - I can understand so much more of what she wants and needs which assists with the levels of frustration for the both of us!
On a pregnancy note, I'm now 15 weeks pregnant and still sporting a relatively flat stomach. I haven't yet felt any movement although you are supposed to be able to feel it earlier 2nd time round. So I'm just waiting for those amazing first flutters to make themselves known. My jeans, although still loose, are definitely not AS loose as they were prior to falling pregnant so I have a feeling I'm going to carry the same way I carried with Lily - ALL in my behind and not much in my stomach. I suppose time will tell when this bump will make itself known but with Lily, it was only around the 24 week mark if I remember correctly.
My next scan is in a week's time and I can't wait to see our little baba. I am also very excited to hear whether my gynae is going to confirm the fetal assessment's sighting that we are in fact having a little boy. Once I've heard from him, I will be 100% convinced. Looking forward to it!
So all is well and happy in our little home :)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
It's a boy!
On Tuesday we had our Fetal Assessment Scan at the Fetal Assessment Center in Claremont. I was both anxious and excited to see our little "bean". I have been feeling great once again as the nausea and exhaustion subsided around week 11 so obviously I no longer had any "pregnancy" symptoms and wanted confirmation that all was still okay with the pregnancy. Besides confirmation that all was still going well, we had decided to find out the sex of our new baby. We didn't find out the sex when we were pregnant with Lily, but this time around, I just knew I wanted to find out.
My reasons for finding out were simple. I come from a family of girls, I have a daughter and felt 100% certain that this baby was going to be yet another girl. I only "know" girls and needed to know if I was in fact carrying a boy as I needed time to get my head around the notion. I would need a whole mind shift in fact! Not that I didn't want a boy, it is just so unknown to me...
The scan, as expected, was amazing. The intricate detail and in-depth view of our baby who is essentially only the size of half a banana, is truly astounding. The woman conducting the scan confirmed that there is very little risk of our baby having any developmental abnormalities and all looked perfect as far as she could see. She then asked whether we would like to know the sex of the baby and we both said yes...
She went to the groin area and as soon as she focused on it, she said with 100% certainty that our baby is in fact a boy! My heart skipped a beat... I couldn't believe it! I was so certain that Lily would be getting a sister, how could I be so incredibly wrong? I almost didn't hear what was being said next as I lay there in disbelief. I was smiling and excited, but truly shocked. But there was no denying that a winky was visible!
So I now need to get my head around the idea of our new little baby being a boy! I'm excited and nervous of the unknown, but know that this little person is going to complete our family perfectly. I have no doubt he is going to have me wrapped around his teeny tiny finger in no time. I'm looking forward to seeing him again at the end of the month for our 16 week scan. Again, it is truly amazing how blessed we are and I cannot wait for Lily to have a little brother.
My reasons for finding out were simple. I come from a family of girls, I have a daughter and felt 100% certain that this baby was going to be yet another girl. I only "know" girls and needed to know if I was in fact carrying a boy as I needed time to get my head around the notion. I would need a whole mind shift in fact! Not that I didn't want a boy, it is just so unknown to me...
The scan, as expected, was amazing. The intricate detail and in-depth view of our baby who is essentially only the size of half a banana, is truly astounding. The woman conducting the scan confirmed that there is very little risk of our baby having any developmental abnormalities and all looked perfect as far as she could see. She then asked whether we would like to know the sex of the baby and we both said yes...
She went to the groin area and as soon as she focused on it, she said with 100% certainty that our baby is in fact a boy! My heart skipped a beat... I couldn't believe it! I was so certain that Lily would be getting a sister, how could I be so incredibly wrong? I almost didn't hear what was being said next as I lay there in disbelief. I was smiling and excited, but truly shocked. But there was no denying that a winky was visible!
So I now need to get my head around the idea of our new little baby being a boy! I'm excited and nervous of the unknown, but know that this little person is going to complete our family perfectly. I have no doubt he is going to have me wrapped around his teeny tiny finger in no time. I'm looking forward to seeing him again at the end of the month for our 16 week scan. Again, it is truly amazing how blessed we are and I cannot wait for Lily to have a little brother.
A trying time
My precious little angel went from a relatively great sleeper who self soothed herself to sleep when I put her down for her midday and evening sleeps, to a feisty, determined little person who for some reason feared sleep and didn't want to be left alone in her cot. This started exactly two weeks ago and it truly has been a physically and emotionally draining and exhausting 14 days.
Initially we thought her reluctance to go to sleep was due to the fact that her granny and great granny were visiting and she didn't want to miss out on anything happening downstairs while she was being made to go to sleep. She definitely suffers from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) at times! However, after noticing how incredibly swollen her little gums were and then a few days later, the appearance of 2 pearly whites, made me realise that it must be that she is teething which is causing the upsets. She is so incredibly busy during the day I don't think she has time to register that she is uncomfortable, but perhaps when she is a little more quiet and subdued, the pressure, discomfort and pain, probably sets it.
Thankfully, our doctor confirmed that Lily wasn't ill so there was nothing to worry about medically. Unfortunately, he didn't hear my subtle pleas for drugs to help with her sleeping! However, our family GP in East London showed a little more sympathy and gave us a script for a miracle medicine which isn't habit forming and doesn't metabolise in the body so is completely safe. It has made a world of difference these last 5 nights enabling Lily (and us) to sleep through (touch wood it lasts!). Unfortunately it wasn't helping with the settling of her though prior to falling asleep so I decided to bite the bullet and consult a Baby Routine Specialist which I did this morning.
I left the specialist with 2 pages of notes on her diet and how to start sleep training. I decided that this was the perfect time to start (today is a Thursday) as my husband is away on a long weekend fishing trip and his reluctance to hear his child crying wouldn't affect my efforts. When I put Lily down for her midday nap, she cried as expected. I let her cry for 5 minutes, went inside, comforted her for about 10 seconds and then walked out. I then waited for another 10 minutes while she screamed and then went into her room again to comfort her. I was instructed to increase the length of time I was out of her bedroom for 5 minutes every time. Luckily I didn't have to go in a 3rd time as she fell asleep just before her next 15 minutes were up. So she essentially cried for just under 25 minutes in total - a very long and draining 25 minutes where I just sat staring at the clock on my phone and listening to her screams.
Luckily tonight was different. I gave her her miracle medicine at 18h30, she had her bath at 18h45 and got ready for bed at 19h10. We read 3 short stories and then I said goodnight, I love you and put her peacefully in her bed. I thought that she was rather docile and could possibly not protest, but as I closed her door she let out her signature scream and cried, however, this time I was pleasantly surprised that her crying only lasted 3 minutes and then silence! I'm not getting my hopes up for tomorrow's naps, but it could have been a lot worse.
Here's hoping that the sleep training works by the end of the weekend as the specialist suggested it would. I am going to be tough and stick to the rules and guidelines and if the specialist is as good as people say she is, Lily should be back to the angel sleeper she used to be by Sunday!
Initially we thought her reluctance to go to sleep was due to the fact that her granny and great granny were visiting and she didn't want to miss out on anything happening downstairs while she was being made to go to sleep. She definitely suffers from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) at times! However, after noticing how incredibly swollen her little gums were and then a few days later, the appearance of 2 pearly whites, made me realise that it must be that she is teething which is causing the upsets. She is so incredibly busy during the day I don't think she has time to register that she is uncomfortable, but perhaps when she is a little more quiet and subdued, the pressure, discomfort and pain, probably sets it.
Thankfully, our doctor confirmed that Lily wasn't ill so there was nothing to worry about medically. Unfortunately, he didn't hear my subtle pleas for drugs to help with her sleeping! However, our family GP in East London showed a little more sympathy and gave us a script for a miracle medicine which isn't habit forming and doesn't metabolise in the body so is completely safe. It has made a world of difference these last 5 nights enabling Lily (and us) to sleep through (touch wood it lasts!). Unfortunately it wasn't helping with the settling of her though prior to falling asleep so I decided to bite the bullet and consult a Baby Routine Specialist which I did this morning.
I left the specialist with 2 pages of notes on her diet and how to start sleep training. I decided that this was the perfect time to start (today is a Thursday) as my husband is away on a long weekend fishing trip and his reluctance to hear his child crying wouldn't affect my efforts. When I put Lily down for her midday nap, she cried as expected. I let her cry for 5 minutes, went inside, comforted her for about 10 seconds and then walked out. I then waited for another 10 minutes while she screamed and then went into her room again to comfort her. I was instructed to increase the length of time I was out of her bedroom for 5 minutes every time. Luckily I didn't have to go in a 3rd time as she fell asleep just before her next 15 minutes were up. So she essentially cried for just under 25 minutes in total - a very long and draining 25 minutes where I just sat staring at the clock on my phone and listening to her screams.
Luckily tonight was different. I gave her her miracle medicine at 18h30, she had her bath at 18h45 and got ready for bed at 19h10. We read 3 short stories and then I said goodnight, I love you and put her peacefully in her bed. I thought that she was rather docile and could possibly not protest, but as I closed her door she let out her signature scream and cried, however, this time I was pleasantly surprised that her crying only lasted 3 minutes and then silence! I'm not getting my hopes up for tomorrow's naps, but it could have been a lot worse.
Here's hoping that the sleep training works by the end of the weekend as the specialist suggested it would. I am going to be tough and stick to the rules and guidelines and if the specialist is as good as people say she is, Lily should be back to the angel sleeper she used to be by Sunday!
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