So, 12 weeks again.  As you can see, I have no picture because we used a camera that had no memory card in it, so the picture is stored on the camera’s internal memory.  And of course, I can’t find the cord to connect it to the computer.  That will be the Mister’s task as soon as he gets home from class.  But I think it’s a really cute picture.

After yesterday’s excitement, a normal weekly blog post seems a bit anticlimactic (especially with no pictures).  But every day is a milestone during pregnancy, and I’m thrilled to be here again.  Another week of no nausea (except for a gag every now and then when I brush my teeth) and my fatigue seems to be easing up.  I still get extremely tired throughout the day, but I get a burst of energy when I pick up CJ from school and am able to play with him the way we used to before this pregnancy.  I am looking forward to the second trimester and getting back even more energy.  Maybe the reason I’m so freaking tired this go around is because I have a toddler to contend with at home, but MAN do I get tired.

Other than the tiredness, everything is going swimmingly.  I felt what I thought may possibly be some baby wiggles over the weekend, which is really cool.  Even if it wasn’t, it’s still nice to pretend.  In baby development news, Week 12 is a pretty exciting week.  From BabyCenter:  “The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby’s fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won’t be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.  Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby’s brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.”

So, pretty cool.

I have seen this little pregnancy survey all over the interwebs, and I’m going to steal it.  Since I’ve been through pregnancy before, I feel like I don’t have much new to talk about so some writing prompts couldn’t hurt.

How Far Along? 12 weeks.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? Down about three pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.

Maternity Clothes? I dug them out of the closet, but they are unnecessary right now.

Sleep? Comes easily, but is interrupted by the need to pee at least once.

Best Moment of the Week? Seeing a perfectly healthy baby during our ultrasound!

Movement? Saw it on the ultrasound, may have started feeling slight wiggles.

Food Craving? Pizza tastes so amazing.  I could eat it every day.

Food aversions? Whatever has previously made me vomit.

Morning sickness? Over and done with, hopefully.

Symptoms? A few twinges of RLP when I move too fast, sore boobies, fatigue, slight acne.

Gender? Can’t tell yet, but I’m leaning toward girl.

Labor Signs? None, and hopefully none for at least 26 more weeks!

Belly Button? Normal.

What I miss? Having some energy.

What I’m looking forward to? Sporting a cute belly, having more energy.

Milestones? NT scan looked great!

We had our 12-week appointment and ultrasound today.  Everything looks perfect!  I have been so worked up all week waiting/dreading for today to get here.  Just like last time.  I always get so nervous before ultrasounds.  I don’t know why.  I’ve never had a bad one or anything.  Truth is, once they are in there, I grow babies like a champ.  I hope and pray that this pregnancy goes as smoothly as my first one.  So far so good.  God is great!

And now, on to the part that everyone really cares about…  PICTURES!

Swimmin’ around

Beautiful heartbeat!

Lounging

Getting the NT measurements

Fuzzy profile

Oh hai, Mom and Dad!

Head, belly, and curled up legs

And there they are.  Baby Burks #2 looks absolutely perfect.  S/he had a heart rate of 155, and the nuchal fold and nasal bone were both normal.  I should get the results from the bloodwork back in about 10 days.  The Mister said during the ultrasound that he thought it was a boy, but I’m still leaning toward girl for some reason.  I was right last time and he was wrong, so maybe I’ll be 2 for 2!  The rest of the appointment went well.  I’m still down a couple of pounds from my starting weight, so I’m really hoping to keep the weight gain to around 15 pounds, which is the recommended amount for an already overweight person such as myself.  My blood pressure was good, and hopefully all of the other tests will come back normal.  I got the whole once-over from the doctor, which was lots of fun (she said sarcastically).  I will have to go back in another week or so for a blood draw to test for a few genetic diseases.  This is a new offering since my last pregnancy.  They will test for cystic fibrosis, male factor X, and something else that I forgot.  Neither of us have a history of genetic diseases in our families, so hopefully everything will be okay.

In “meh” news, this doctor was a little more realistic about my chances of a VBAC. She said if I was going to have another 9-pounder then they would probably advise against it because of the uterine rupture risks. And honestly, I’m fine with that. I am not married to the idea of a VBAC. It would be nice, but my ultimate goal is a live baby and minimal damage done to my body. She said we would definitely start monitoring growth more closely starting around 32 weeks, and decide at 38 weeks what to do. She was very positive about VBAC-ing a smaller baby (maybe between 7 and 8 pounds), but CJ’s size is what halted my labor last time so they would likely encourage a repeat C with another large baby. Not great news, but my practice is one of the few in the area that actually does VBAC so I know if there is any possible way for me to VBAC safely they will get me through it.

Well, I guess that’s about it for this update!  I will post the regularly scheduled weekly update later this evening after we take some pictures.  Have a great day!