A letter to my little one...

Dearest baby girl,

I hope you do not fault me too much with how few pregnancy posts I have written about you. Truth be told, this may be my first, official one.

There were many reasons for this. It took a relatively long time (in our eyes) to conceive a third time, and after two miscarriages I learned not to get my hopes up. And when we finally heard the great news it took me close to four months to really allow myself to get excited.

And here we are, six months in, and I am indeed excited to meet you!

You move around a lot, which scares me, because we are hoping you are mild-mannered, easy, a good sleeper and eater. Your activity in utero makes me think perhaps you have quite a different personality. I wonder who you are and who you will be.

Your older brother and sister kiss you every day (on my tummy) and can't wait to meet you, help take care of you, and play with you.

My idea of comfort

I've been thinking about comfort lately. With the holiday season approaching and the upcoming preparation of a Thanksgiving meal, all my favorite comfort foods come to mind...mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, savory meats and appetizers. The comforting crackle of a fire...

But this past week, comfort came to me in another form...the sound of my baby's heartbeat.

I'm in my 17th week of pregnancy. Despite reaching the second trimester, there is still a bit of fear, worry and uncertainty. At every doctor's visit, as the nurse moves the doppler device over my tummy, those ten seconds seem like an eternity before I hear the reassuring rhythm of baby's heart. But then I always hear it...it beats strong, almost like baby is saying, "I'm here!" and I nearly cry with relief.

Thanksgiving is next week. I have much to be thankful for...

STILL waiting

39 weeks today...Looks like our baby is quite comfortable inside. I have to admit all the anticipation and excitement has waned...I've been staring at my suitcase for the hospital for weeks now, and I've looked in the baby's room dozens of times, going through her drawers and closet to make sure I have enough of everything.

I've put my life on hold for the past couple of weeks, thinking that she would be here by now. I think I probably feel even worse about the fact that my mom came a week early, interrupting her schedule at home so she could watch Ethan while I make my trip to the hospital. At the very least, it's good bonding time for the two of them. They have played quite a bit, and it's great to hear both of them laugh and giggle as they play.

I don't have a picture taken yet, but I can't imagine I look all that different. Friday morning we have one last sonogram (at my request) and another check up to see how baby is doing, and to see if I have dilated any further. I haven't felt too much this week as far as contractions go. She does move regularly, so that is reassuring. But it just seems she's not quite ready to meet the world...

38 Weeks--I'm still here

Well, looks like baby isn't coming as early as we thought! Now that my mom is here I'm anxious to be done and delivered! But, I realize that it's all in God's timing. My midwife says I'm a bit bigger than 3 cm, and I'm 70% effaced. But that's not much of a change from last week.

In the meantime, mom and I have had some fun ourselves. This weekend we had a little mini spa day! She had an hour massage while I had a facial, and then we both got our nails done with a paraffin treatment! Ah...relaxation and pampering :)

Things I love about being pregnant:

• My growing baby bump
• Feeling baby move
• Eating whatever I like!
• Dreaming about baby

Things I do not like at all about being pregnant:

• My growing rear rump
• Varicose veins
• Aches and pains
• Physical limitations (there's so much I'm not allowed or unable to do!)

I'm sure I could add to both lists, but these are the things that I'm thinking about right now.

37 Weeks--What's in a Name?

I was sitting in the doctor's waiting room yesterday when the door opened and the nurse's voice called, "Vicky?"

You may be wondering why this surprised me so much. Since I married and moved to this new town, I've used my legal first name (Maria) for all paperwork. Being a stickler for rules, I fill everything out with my full legal name, and as a result, anyone who doesn't "know me" calls me by this foreign name that I have never used.

So what happened here? Strange how I've been to this doctor's office for nine months and they've finally called me by "the name I go by". You see last week, I was discussing baby names with one of the midwives, expressing my dilemna at not having a suitable middle name to go with the first name we have chosen for our little girl (some of you know this name, but I may change my mind, so I won't mention it here!). She then asked me, "Well, what about YOUR name?" I then told her that I actually go by my middle name, and not my first, and that I wouldn't like the way any of those combinations would sound anyhow. She quickly made a note on my file...

So what's up with baby this week? She's doing great. Her movements are slower since she's low on space, but she still moves and stretches. She is considered full-term now! I've been feeling some contractions for a couple of weeks now, and am 3 centimeters dilated already. My midwife thinks I may go into labor next week! Many have said that I don't look that big for being 3 weeks out, but since I've taken the above picture I feel like my tummy has gotten considerably bigger! I don't know, maybe it's all that chocolate cake I've been eating, heh heh heh...

36 and a Half Weeks

Every week that goes by I get more and more excited, anxious, even impatient! This week I'm dilated 2 to 3 inches (technically, my cervix is dilated 3 inches externally, 2 inches internally), and my cervix has obviously begun to soften. My midwife thinks I'll go earlier than my due date.

Well, lets pray that I do. She also told me that the doctor will be going out of town on my due date--a last minute thing--and when he goes out of town, neither one of the midwives perform any deliveries. I would hate to repeat the last childbirthing experience I had with Ethan--my doctor back then also left town, and I ended up working with a complete stranger! It wasn't fun at all since she and I butt heads quite a bit during the whole ordeal!

34 Weeks

The countdown to baby's arrival continues! This week's check up went well. She's not doing anything yet (that's a good thing), and she is still head down. I will be seeing my midwife every week now until I deliver.

Her movements are a bit different now that there's less room. Most of the time I feel her stretch her legs, which means her butt juts out on the uppper left side of my belly, and her feet poke out on the lower right. I've also felt some braxton-hicks contactions I think. All totally normal, but not true labor.

I feel great physically. Finding a comfortable position at bedtime is a challenge, but once I find it I only wake up once during the night to get up and use the bathroom (a lot better than two or three times, like some other moms-to-be!). And I usually stay comfortable in bed all the way through to the morning. This is SO much better than my first pregnancy, when I tried all sorts of sleep positions--different pillows, the recliner, the living room couch. I'm glad that I am able to get good rest at night.

Emotions do run high, though! I find I'm a bit hyper-sensitive to EVERYTHING! Don't be surprised if I bust out crying because of a commercial, or if I'm particularly snappy at the end of the day. David's great about rolling with the punches. I'm blessed to have such a great husband :)

A Wonderful Surprise

God has a way. The other day I was particularly overwhelmed with the preparations of our second baby. In an effort to wrap my brain around it, I wrote down a list of all those things just so I could get it out of my head! Sometimes, they seem bigger in your head and smaller on paper, you know? I then prayed to God about these things, just pouring out my heart to Him, my worries and fears.

And then He answered. Every third Saturday of the month I go to a girlfriends' brunch that started a couple of years ago. After marriage and children a lot of us got busier and busier, and so we thought setting aside one Saturday a month would allow us to catch up! It's usually a potluck, and we take turns hosting each month. I thought today was our usual get together, but when I arrived it turned out to be a little mini baby shower for me! This was such a wonderful surprise and blessing!


Thank you to Carrie for putting the scheme together, and thank you to Jen H. for hosting. Thank you to Angie R, Eli, Julie, Jen T, Angie S and Marla for celebrating the upcoming arrival of our little girl, and for gifting me with such cute outfits! It really cheered me up, lifted my spirits and made me feel special to know you gals were thinking of me.

Aren't these outfits cute? I received beautiful dresses, onesies, two piece outfits, and even some summer wear for next year when she's bigger. Among the gifts was a soft honey bee baby blanket, too.

And so with the surprise baby shower, along with a FANTASTIC morning of garage sale shopping, I have secured our little girl's 0-3 month wardrobe. 3-6 months and beyond are still in the works, but I already have some great outfits for her when that time comes. God also resolved and provided a few other things on my list this past weekend. And so I can happily cross those things off, too. Looking at my list again, indeed, my worries are insignificant because God is bigger. And He is faithful! How easily I forget, even though He reminds me time and time again.

32 Weeks

It's hard to imagine that I have begun the ten week countdown! All I have to say is that I am tired of getting kicked in the ribs! Other than that, I feel pretty good. Sleeping on my side is getting more difficult because of the extra weight, too.

Speaking of extra weight...my weight gain so far has been 25 pounds. Not too bad, but I'll be putting on about another pound a week for the rest of the pregnancy. I've already had to go out to buy bigger maternity clothes--yikes!

Expecting

As the weeks go by, the reality of another baby sets in. There is some fear and apprehension of the delivery, of juggling nursing with running after Ethan, of running on very little sleep!

But then the excitement and anticipation sets in, too. When I'm out running errands or shopping, I will often pass by the baby section of whatever store I'm in and look at the baby clothes. Such tiny shirts! Such tiny pants! Such tiny feet! And what an array of options for dressing a baby girl! The pinks and yellows and lavenders and green--they all tickle me with delight. It's hard to resist!

And then when I lay down to go sleep, or even just for a nap, I will feel this little baby squirm. She moves very differently than Ethan did. Ethan kicked me in between the ribs A LOT. This little one wiggles, depending on my position, and it actually tickles sometimes. Or when I watch TV, out of the corner of my eye I will see my belly wobble from one side to the other. Every move she makes reminds me that she is coming very soon and just makes me all the more excited for her arrival. I hope and pray that she continues to grow well and healthily.

28 Weeks

Baby and I are doing well! I am officially into the third trimester now, and so my doctors visits are now every two weeks.

It seems like time is going by VERY fast. Before we know it, our little girl will be here! We have lots to do before her arrival. Right now, the basement is being drywalled. When that's done, we have to paint, then move everything back into those rooms. Ethan's room needs to be finished. That means the closet needs to be cleaned out to make room for his stuff, and there's still some decorating to do :) Then the nursery closet needs to be cleaned out, girl clothes laundered and inventoried (I don't even know what I have or need!), and if I have time I would like to redecorate that room just a little bit. It could use some pink!

One thing at a time, huh? Can you tell the nesting instinct has gone into full swing?

24 Weeks

This post is two weeks overdue since I am now 26 weeks pregnant! Our last visit to the midwife was very good (yes, a midwife). We were able to do one more sonogram to check a few more things that were hard to see last time. But the best part was I got to see a "4D" sonogram for the first time. That whole term doesn't make much sense to me, but you get the idea. Not only do you see the form of your baby, but I guess there's more computer generation in this kind of sonogram. David thinks it looks a bit creepy, but I was fascinated!

The pregnancy is going well. Everything is checking out great! I think the hardest part has been getting used to the extra weight again! Some of you might remember my die hard efforts at losing weight last fall. Efforts that were well worth it I'm proud to say. But I'm afraid I'll be working hard again in a few months!

Differences this time around: First, a lot more round ligament pain. If I walk too long, sit too long or stand too long, I start to ache quite a bit. I stopped working out months ago because of this. Second, I feel baby's movement in a different place than last time. The sonographer determined she was breeched this time around, which might explain why I feel movement in my lower abdomen. The movement an expectant mom feels is usually due to her baby's kicking legs. So, if that's true, then this baby is head up. This is a big contrast to the sharp kicks I felt in between my ribs while pregnant with Ethan, who was head down at the time of delivery. As a result, I've been reading up on what to do to encourage this baby to "turn around". You wouldn't believe what you could find on the internet...

It's a girl!

There's a reason why David and I were never able to come up with another boy's name... We're having a girl!

Yesterday we had our 20 week sonogram and check up and we were itching with anticipation. This was a rather long sonogram because they checked for all the organs and took several measurements. I was amazed at the sonographer working with us. She showed us the baby's kidneys, bladder, stomach, the heart with all four ventricles, the brain, and of course, the anatomy pointing to what gender we were to expect. While we were pregnant with Ethan we saw a different doctor and they didn't go this much in depth with all the anatomy. Very fascinating!

At the end of the sonogram we went through all the stats. She's about 13oz right now. Everything looks normal...all her vital organs are normal, she's got all her toes and fingers. Her spine looks good. Next time they're going to try to get a look at her face and check her mouth/lips for any cleft palate or other abnormalities. But we were so relieved to see her healthy and moving about :)

Snyder #2 due out in October

We're pregnant!

We've known for a while now, but wanted to take the time to tell as many people as we could in person or over the phone. Of course, it's impossible to see everybody, and by that time we would have been well into the third trimester! So, we felt it was time to finally post something on the blog as an official "announcement".

How far along are we? 19 weeks today! Here are some sonogram shots from the past few doctor's visits.


Baby Snyder at 7 weeks. You can hardly discern much of a baby shape.

At 12 weeks we definitely see more of a human form.

This is a zoomed in snapshot of baby at 12 weeks. Baby moved around quite a bit at this appointment, and I was able to see the legs squirming to and fro. I was able to see the umbilical cord, too. In this photo the legs are somewhat concealed. What you see is mostly the crown to rump (or butt) here.

Stay tuned...next Thursday we have our third sonogram and will hopefully be able to determine the gender! We're really excited to find out :)