26 Weeks Pregnant!

Last time I posted a pic I was 22 weeks...talk about A LOT of growth in 4 weeks!

How far along: 26 weeks pregnant...Due September 3rd!

Gender: Baby BOY!!

Total weight gain: Up 13 lb.

Exercise: Thankfully my placenta has moved some (more on that later), so I've been cleared to do a little more exercise. However, I haven't been totally let loose. I can lift weights as long as I'm not straining too hard doing it (my midwife says as long as I'm not feeling like I have to grunt! Ha!); I can jog (but not run); and obviously I can still walk. So I have been doing what I can when I can. There were 2 weeks in there that I was at the hospital around the clock and didn't want to leave for a run, so it was a slow couple weeks, but now I'm back to running, lifting and walking. It feels AMAZING!

Maternity clothes: Still no maternity clothes. I live in workout clothes, dresses, and the pair of normal shorts I bought a couple sizes up.

Miss anything: Being able to run without feeling like I have to pee the whole time. I go before I leave, so I know I don't actually have to go, it's just the pressure of baby boy bouncing on my bladder.

Movement: I'm feeling this little guy move all the time. He's an active little bugger. I love it!

Have you started to show: Oh yeah! The last 3 weeks my belly has really taken off! See?

(As a side note: Anytime I put on a tight workout shirt I think to myself, "Fat girl in a little shirt," in the tune of Chris Farley in Tommy Boy singing, "Fat guys in a little coat)

Stretch marks: This is a tricky one. I never got stretch marks on my belly with Mckenna. But ever since puberty I've had stretch marks on my thighs, tush, and hips. They are very fine and you only really see them when the light hits them right. So there's a good chance that I got more with Mckenna, I just have no idea. My guess is I may be getting more as we speak, I just can't see them in comparison to what is already there!

Belly button in or out: It's in...but creeping towards the surface.

Wedding rings on or off: On, when I actually wear them! I take them off for exercise, showers, and sleeping...and with my baby brain and pregnancy brain, I often forget to put them back on!

Sleep: I sleep like any other mom with a 3.5 year old and a 5.5 month old! I've noticed the last few nights I've been especially tired. It may be from increasing my exercise intensity or from the extra activity of having Ronnie back at home...regardless, I just need to move my bedtime up!

Labor signs: Nope! But I am still having a ton of Braxton Hicks contractions. I get them when my bladder is full, during exercise, when he's really active, and for no reason at all...so really, I just get them all the time.

Best moment of this week: We have had a lot of good moments this week. First and foremost: RONNIE IS HOME!! WAHOO! We have a ways to go until he's 100%, but he has improved leaps and bounds since getting home. We are so thankful to be under one roof as a family. The second GREAT moment was that we had another ultrasound yesterday to check on baby boy and my placenta. Baby boy looks healthy, and my placenta has continued to move! It moved another .37cm away from my cervix, so it's not .97cm away from my cervix. They just want to see it over 1-1.5cm away to clear me for all normal activity, and to allow my to deliver vaginally. We are SO close!

Home Again, Home Again

As of noon today, Ronnie is back home!! After 5 weeks in the hospital, we were all ready to get him home...there's no feeling like it!! They weren't going to do anymore IV antibiotics, so everyone felt it was best to get him home to recoup here. This is just step one in the road to recovery, but we are thankful that to have achieved step one and are fired up to knock out step two...three...four........five hundred...

Right now Ronnie is pretty weak. Between blood loss, muscle atrophy, and the beating his lungs took from all the blood, he is just plan tired and has trouble being up and about much more than a few minutes. We know that this will improve with time, and are just going to do what we need to do to balance the activity needed to regain muscle and lung function with the rest needed to heal and recoup. Another battle right now is major nausea. We aren't sure what is causing it, but it isn't helpful, so we are trying to work through it!

Ways you can be praying for us:
   - Give thanks - Join us in thanking God for stopping the bleeding, bringing Ronnie home, and allowing us to be together again. While we know we have a road ahead of us, our hearts are so joyful and thankful that we can all be together, under one roof, and traveling the road together. It is not lost on us that it is a blessing to just be able to be together, regardless of the circumstances. So first and foremost, pray a prayer of thanksgiving for us!
   - Stamina - I know it has to be exhausting to feel miserable for so long. And I know Ronnie is just plan tired. Please pray for stamina to push through the miserable-ness and tiredness to continue to get stronger.
   - No more nausea - Ronnie needs to start eating more to give his body the nutrients needed to heal. Pray that his nausea disappears, so eating isn't a chore.
   - No bleeding - Ronnie hasn't bled in nearly two weeks. Pray this continues!!

We cannot thank you guys enough for all the texts, messages, comments, and calls. Your love and support is felt and impactful!!