Hey, guess what?  I’m 19 weeks pregnant again!  The belly is really starting to round out now.  I think I look much bigger than I did last week, but some mornings I wake up and barely look pregnant at all so it really just depends on the moment or particular time of day.

Still feeling great, although we are all exhausted from the long Easter weekend.  Too much driving and too much fun-having really does a number on us all.  We spent Sunday afternoon at the lake with the Mister’s dad’s side of the family, and it wore CJ absolutely out.  The fact that he didn’t get an afternoon nap probably helped out in the exhaustion department on the way home.  But we had a great time!  We jumped in the bounce house, searched for Easter eggs, swung in the porch swing, played in the kiddie pool, ate ourselves silly, and topped off the afternoon with a fun boat ride.  CJ was asleep within five minutes of being strapped into his carseat, and slept through being brought inside the house and being moved from our bed to his pack and play, and slept great Sunday night, much to our delight.  Yesterday we went over to MaMaw’s for a second Easter lunch and a visit, where we again ate ourselves silly and had a good time.  There are pictures on the MBP, but it is unfortunately at school with the Mister so I will have to do a separate picture post some other time this week.  Rest assured that the Burks family cleans up very well and looked great in our Easter finest.  We didn’t take CJ to see the Easter Bunny this year because if you will remember last year, the Easter Bunny dropped him on the floor.  So maybe we will try it again with both boys next year.

Did you catch that?

Baby Burks #2 is a beautiful, perfectly healthy, BIG baby boy!  We had a great ultrasound on Friday and the first thing we saw was that our baby was definitely not a girl.  He is measuring about a week and a half ahead, which is consistent with what CJ measured in utero.  He has a big ol’ head, so I’m doubtful about my chances for a successful VBAC because CJ’s head size is what got him stuck and halted my labor, but if he slows down and measures appropriately toward the end I might still attempt it.  Whatever gets him out safely and alive is what I will ultimately do, though.  After having been through a C-section, I think I will be better prepared for it this time since I won’t be caught off guard.  Plus it will be kind of nice to know that my lady bits won’t be stretched to their limits.

We are absolutely over the moon to be expecting another boy!  CJ is just so wonderful and baby boys are so sweet.  CJ is definitely Mommy’s little boy, and I am looking forward to having another snugglebug in September.  The most important thing is that the baby is healthy, but I’m so glad it is a boy.  We don’t have to buy anything or even change the nursery too much.  New bedding should just about cover it.  We had enough forethought to purchase our major baby gear in gender-neutral colors and patterns, so that wouldn’t have been an issue even if this baby had been a girl.  But not having to buy very many new clothes or shoes or toys is going to be nice.  For now our biggest project is getting CJ’s new bedroom ready.

So let’s see what our boy is up to this week.  From BabyCenter:

“Your baby’s sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear your voice now, so don’t be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Think you’re big now? You’ll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. As a result, you may notice some achiness in your lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when you shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support your uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight. This is nothing to be alarmed about, but call your practitioner if the pain continues even when you’re resting or becomes severe.

You may be noticing some skin changes, too. Are the palms of your hands red? Nothing to worry about — it’s from the extra estrogen. You may also have patches of darkened skin caused by a temporary increase in pigment. When these darker patches appear on your upper lip, cheeks, and forehead, they’re called chloasma, or the “mask of pregnancy.” You may also notice some darkening of your nipples, freckles, scars, underarms, inner thighs, and vulva. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or “dark line.”

These darkened spots will probably fade shortly after delivery. In the meantime, protect yourself from the sun, which intensifies the pigment changes. Cover up, wear a brimmed hat, and use sunscreen when you’re outdoors. And if you’re self-conscious about your “mask,” a little concealing makeup can work wonders.”

And here’s the weekly survey:

How Far Along? 19 weeks.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? I was up 9 pounds at the doctor on Friday, but it was in the afternoon after lunch so probably closer to 7 pounds.  Not doing too bad, although this weekend probably put on a couple.

Maternity Clothes? Maternity shirts and jeans, some regular work pants, and some maternity pants and skirts.

Sleep? Pretty good lately.

Best Moment of the Week? Seeing some kicks from the outside, finding out that Baby Burks #2 is a boy.

Movement? Daily and lots more.  My favorite part of pregnancy.

Food Craving? None too specific.  I’ve been liking orange juice a lot lately.

Food aversions? Whatever has previously made me vomit.

Morning sickness? None.  RIP morning sickness, don’t come back again.

Symptoms? Sore boobies, my hips are starting to ache a little when I walk too much, and my hair is starting to get a little crazy.  It got weird when I was pregnant with CJ too, so I was expecting it.

Gender? All boy, and proud of it!

Labor Signs? None, and hopefully none until September.  Stay away!

Belly Button? I’ve actually started noticing that it is a little shallower nowadays.

What I miss? Regular jeans, not having to pee all the time, sleeping on my stomach.

What I’m looking forward to? Next big milestone is viability at 24 weeks.  My stress level goes way down after that point.

Milestones? Seeing the baby move from the outside, finding out that it’s a boy.  Getting to be pregnant another week.

Okay, I’m just going to start taking the weekly photos with my cell phone, so that I can upload them immediately to Photobucket and post them, because we never seem to get the pictures off the card in the big camera.  So expect lower quality photos from henceforth.  This photo is from Wednesday of last week.

So, we are now well into the second trimester, and I must say, it is my favorite trimester.  I’m starting to look pregnant and not just chunky, my energy has returned as well as my appetite, and I haven’t been sick in several weeks.  It’s nice to be able to eat what I need to be eating instead of just what I think will stay down.  I put back on the 7-ish pounds I had lost over the first trimester by my 12-week appointment, so it was like starting from day one as far as weight gain.  I’ve done pretty well so far, what with not really watching what I’ve been eating as far as amounts and getting absolutely no exercise, so I should be perfectly able to keep my weight gain under 20 pounds (hopefully more around 15) for this pregnancy with a little more forethought and effort.  Helloooo, veggies and treadmill!

I had my 16-week appointment yesterday (Wednesday, since it is now Thursday and not Monday when I should have posted the update).  Everything went well.  My blood pressure is great, weight gain is normal, and the baby had a nice strong heartbeat.  It did give me quite a scare, though.  My doctor tried for about two minutes to find the heartbeat, and the whole time I held my breath in a state of pre-panic, thinking my absolute worst nightmare was about to come true.  The only thing that kept me from freaking out was the fact that I could hear and feel the baby moving around in there, so I knew it was just hiding.  She put more gel on the doppler wand, and I told her that I think my placenta might be anterior and that the few times I have found the baby’s heartbeat it has been really low and on the left side, and right behind my iliac artery.  So she went a bit lower and to the left, found my heartbeat from my artery, and poked around and FINALLY found the baby’s heartbeat.  I think I melted into a puddle internally.  We couldn’t get a heart rate because my heartbeat kept interfering, but the baby sounded great.  The heartbeat was very strong and quick.  I know that if she wouldn’t have been able to find the heartbeat I would have been whisked right back for an ultrasound, but I am glad that the baby decided to stop hiding so Mommy could relax a little bit.  Before I got to see the doctor she was called over to the hospital (dumb ol’ women having babies, don’t they know I’m on a schedule?!?!), so I went ahead and did my blood draw with my favorite vampire.  She doesn’t hurt or bruise me at all like the other vampire.  The worst part about yesterday’s blood draw was ripping the bandaid off afterward.  All in all, great short appointment.  My next appointment is scheduled for April 22, which will be when we find out whether CJ will have a baby brother or a baby sister!  I will be nearly 19 weeks, so it is about a week earlier than normal, but I typically measured a week or two ahead with CJ and we are going home for Easter that weekend and I’d love to be able to tell our parents in person what we are having instead of doing it over the phone.  Bor-ing!  I have a cute gender reveal planned out, and I will be sure to post some pictures.

And now Baby Burks #2′s development, from Baby Center:

“Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he’s about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren’t recognizable yet. He’s even started growing toenails. And there’s a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. You’re probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and “glowing” skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being.

Soon you’ll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice “quickening” as early as 16 weeks, many don’t feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (And if this is your first baby, don’t be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby’s movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they’ll grow stronger and you’ll be able to feel them much more frequently.”

So, all great stuff!  Baby is doing great and so is Momma.  We are going to purchase CJ’s big boy furniture this weekend so we can start getting his room ready.  I am 99% sure we are going with the PBK dinosaur sheets and brown/green madras bedding.  The Mister was able to get a beautiful cedar chest that we will stain to match the furniture and will serve as CJ’s toy box.  I’m excited to do another room for him, and I know that come April 22 I will want to start thinking about getting the nursery done for #2!

And now, the survey.

How Far Along? 16 weeks.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? Five pounds gained from my pre-pregnancy weight, all of it in my belly apparently.

Maternity Clothes? I wore regular work pants today, but I think I’m going to have to move into maternity work pants from now on.  I’ve been wearing maternity jeans exclusively for about a week or so.

Sleep? Fairly okay.  I still have to get up at least twice to use the bathroom, but go back to sleep easily.

Best Moment of the Week? Hearing the heartbeat at my appointment, another great non-eventful appointment.

Movement? Feeling more and more every day.

Food Craving? Nothing, really.  I wanted cheese dip last night so we went out for Mexican.

Food aversions? Whatever has previously made me vomit.

Morning sickness? None for about 6 weeks now.

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

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

Labor Signs? None, and hopefully none for at least 22 more weeks!

Belly Button? Normal.

What I miss? Regular jeans, sleeping the entire night.

What I’m looking forward to? Our next doctor appointment on April 22, and finding out if CJ is getting a brother or a sister!

Milestones? Every day I don’t freak out is a milestone, because I spent my last pregnancy in a low state of panic.