It’s funny–I realized I must not be talking much about my pregnancy this time around because several friends have recently been like, “You’re pregnant? Really?” Yes, and just at the beginning of the third trimester! We did put it up here on the blog and on facebook at the end of the first trimester, and we mentioned it in the Christmas letter, but I thought I’d do a facebook and blog acknowledgment of my status just in case anyone else missed it! =) I think I’m so busy with taking care of two that I haven’t had much time to contemplate taking care of three!
Anyway, things are going pretty well. After four months of totally incapacitating nausea, I was able to resume cooking and cleaning, and the kids aren’t pretending to throw up anymore (you know you’re really sick when your kids play “spit in the toilet” like it’s a normal game). Like I’ve mentioned before, this pregnancy has had its share of scary moments. I’ve had seven (or eight?) ultrasounds because early on, I thought I was miscarrying (turned out the bleeding and clotting was just due to the progesterone my old, inept OB office mistakenly prescribed), then we had trouble hearing the baby’s heartbeat (turned out I have an abnormally shaped uterus that no one had ever noticed before), then we had the accident (which didn’t hurt the baby at all). I’ve had to switch OB practices mid-way, but all the changes have been for the good, and I’m confident that baby and I are receiving good care now. Though my sacroiliac joint is messed up again this pregnancy, I was more proactive this time around about resting it and getting into physical therapy right away. I still occasionally have extreme pain in my pelvis where my hip slips out of socket and my SI joint gets misalligned, but it is much more manageable than last time. Though my physical activity is severely limited, I’m able to do most all of what I need to do to keep the house running. (As a side note, my PT here suspects that this will be an issue I will deal with in any subsequent pregnancies, as well–something that we have taken seriously as we discuss future plans for our family.) Thanks to those who prayed for our travels over Christmas, though–I was really able to relax and basically not do anything physical at either house, and our parents and brothers totally stepped in and helped with the kids, so I had whole days with zero pain! That is a huge answer to prayer.
Size-wise, I’m feeling bigger than I was at this stage with Tommy or Elizabeth, and I haven’t been exercising as much as previously because of my hip, but I have so few baby bump pictures that it’s hard to tell if it’s just subjective.=) Tums has become my constant companion, and I’m addicted to my morning Irish Breakfast Tea (yes, I was totally caffeine-free with Tommy and mostly so with Elizabeth, but I’m getting a lot less sleep now than I did before, so I think it’s okay). The baby is fairly active, and it’s fun to have the kids come up and feel their sibling kicking. I can’t wait for the three of them to meet face to face.
As I think back to this stage in my last pregnancy, Derek was preparing to leave for Montana for two months, and I was still in continual pain. I thought it was going to be three months of misery. I was totally blessed, though, by several of my girlfriends who stepped up that last trimester and helped me through my “single mom” phase–Ann Louise came up from St Louis to help with Tommy and give Derek and me one last date before he left town, Laura drove up from Louisville to keep us company and cleaned my entire house before my first Caris baby shower, Mariel came up from Bloomington to hang out and let me be a part of her wedding prep (which was so special to me since her wedding was tragically too close to my (over)duedate), and Hannah came over twice a week to bathe Tommy, empty our dehumidifier, shovel the driveway, generally do any other physical stuff I couldn’t do–and just have adult conversations with me! Wow–I really do have truly amazing friends. God is good!
Because we don’t know where we’ll be after May, I haven’t been able to do much nesting. I’m trying to channel my creative impulses into finishing a big girl quilt for Elizabeth when she moves into a real bed and making some homemade toys for the kids. And I’m trying to keep the house clean. I haven’t gotten down on my hands and knees to scrub random corners, though I did do a really thorough (and overdue) housedusting today. Does that clean freak aspect of nesting come a little closer to the duedate? I hope so, because my house can use it.=)
So there you go! That’s me, 6 months pregnant.
Love the baby belly pictures. 🙂 I was biggest with Aidan, and a little bigger now than I was at this stage with Liam. Funny how they are all different! I never did answer your question about the felt foods from Walmart. We have had them a little over a year now, and they do wash and wear well. Aidan plays with them almost daily and I don’t notice them “balling” up or losing their shape. I wouldn’t try wool with my kids because they are both sensitive to it being on their skin. Aidan breaks out in a big rash if it touches him. At the time we bought them, they had sandwich “ingredience”, desserts, and a few others that I can’t remember! I hope the kids are loving their kitchen!
Emily, I had no idea how bad the issue with the sacroiliac joint was. I’m so sorry. Being pregnant alone makes one tired and unable to sleep very well. Experiencing chronic pain on top of that is miserable. I’ll be praying for you on that specific topic.
Leslie–good to know! Thanks!
And B, thanks for your prayers.=)