26 Weeks

We are rolling right along these days trying to make it through the end of the summer during what feels like the hottest weather EVER. I know it’s not, believe me, but it just feels so much hotter this summer pregnancy compared to Trents.

We’ve had so much fun celebrating Daddy’s and Trent’s birthdays these past couple of weeks! Birthdays are extra special in the Greene household and are meant to be celebrated no matter what age.

I’ll be almost 36 weeks pregnant come October 17^th when we celebrate my 30^th birthday. So, the celebration options, while limited, should be interesting. I’m sure I’ll be waddling by then. Normally, we go to the Great Smokey Mountains during my birthday week. It’s a great tradition to watch the beautiful leaves change color and really puts you in the mood for the upcoming holiday season. We might still go; it just depends on how I feel and how things are going.

We now have a BIG 2 YEAR OLD BOY on our hands and we couldn’t be prouder of our future best big brother! He exceeds anything and everything we could have ever imagined in having a son. To say he has the whole package would be an understatement. He’s handsome, smart, funny, gentle, and such a boy! He takes after his Daddy in so many ways and for that, I am truly grateful. I cannot wait to see him blow us away even more…especially when he becomes Big Brother.

How far along? 26 weeks
Total weight gain: Approx. 18 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleep is as good as it’s going to get for the moment.  

Miss Anything? There are numerous little non-important things I miss not being able to have or do while being pregnant, but none of them means more than the blessing of being able to carry another child. 
Movement: This baby boy never stops moving. Seems like he moves more than Trent did.
Food cravings: Nothing specific…just hungry all the time.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Hot and ready for fall weather. Most people said Sumter, S.C. was just as hot as down here…NOT! It’s way hotter to me. Maybe that’s because I don’t have a wonderful pool to relax in this go-around.
Belly Button in or out? Very very out
Wedding rings on or off? I’ve been keeping them off mostly lately because of the heat…I’d hate for them to get stuck if my fingers start to swell.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and anxious and tons of emotions all at once lately.
Looking forward to: Now that my two boys birthdays are out of the way, we can now focus on full time baby prep. Not that there’s a ton to do. It’s much easier this go around seeing as we’re having another boy and they aren’t that far apart. But, in the next month or so we’ll be getting the nursery completed and will really be able to start to get ready for our special Thanksgiving blessing!

24 Weeks

24 weeks

I’m feeling much better! It’s taken numerous prenatal chiropractic visits to get to this but THANKFULLY my lower back is feeling much better. I am so thankful I started going and will continue to go throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. My doctor even said she’d come give me an adjustment during labor if needed. That is so neat and I am grateful!

After going to the vein clinic a week or so ago, I am now in compression old lade hose!  I’ll take the yucky hose any day over getting any more varicose or spider veins!

We’ve had a great last couple of weeks and continue to get everything ready for our newest pride and joy! Believe it or not, I haven’t done the first thing to the nursery. With Trent, by this time, I had my nursery finished. Haha. My how 2^nd pregnancies change things! Seriously though, I would have at least started on it by now but I have to wait for our new guest bedroom to be completed so I can have an empty space to work with.

Trent had a great time playing with his cousin Lily this past week when Aunt Donna came to visit. It feels so good when she comes down for her yearly visit from North Carolina. We had a couple of fun filled family get togethers.

I went to the doctor today and you are as perfect as can be in there. Just keep baking away sweet boy of mine…only 3 months left until our lives are changed forever once again. We are forever blessed.

How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain: Approx. 17 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Much better now that my back pain is a little better.
Best moment this week: We've had a fun filled couple of weeks and had a great time taking your big brother to the Jags scrimmage game. His first football experience. So fun! 

Miss Anything? Yes ;)
Movement: All the time!
Food cravings: Everything at this point. Sweets are still #1
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Pregnant
Belly Button in or out? Out…oh so out!
Wedding rings on or off? On sometimes but depending on the heat it comes off!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: EVERYTHING!

22 Weeks

I feel pregnant, and no, not the cutesy “I love my baby bump” kind of pregnant. I’m talking about the overly sensitive, back aching, varicose/spider vein looking, psychotic mood swings, hot as hell kind of pregnant feeling. Don’t worry though, I’m not complaining haha. I love being pregnant! I do! I really do! I have to keep telling myself this as I hold my breath and wait for the shocking nerve pain to finish before I get out of bed each morning.

Seriously though, I don’t know how women do the pregnancy thing in their late 30’s. I’ll be 30 this year and can so tell the difference in the way I felt carrying Trent at 27 vs. now.

But, what’s so odd is, I am trying to relish each and every second of this precious blessing we’ve been given. I remember a time when I actually thought I might not ever get a chance to feel these feelings.

It’s crunch time in the Greene house as we try and do 52,000 things at once, all while trying to throw in a little fun and relaxation during these hot summer months. We have a lot to look forward to starting the month of August.

I have your nursery all planned out in my head…I just can’t wait to actually be able to put it all together. And, we’re still trying to decide on your name. In my heart, I already know what your name is. I’ve just got to convince your Daddy now. <3

How far along? 22 weeks
Total weight gain: Approx. 13 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No new ones…I did get a few small ones with Trent and those are def more noticeable. Bring em’ on I say…battle scars.
Sleep: Blah. Sleep is more of a pain in the ass then something to look forward to these days. This sacrum pain is not fun at all.
Best moment this week: You are moving around like crazy in there. I almost think you move more than Trent did. Your Daddy has been working like crazy to get some last minute renovations completed on the house so we can focus on your arrival. You and Trent are going to have the best play room ever!  

Miss Anything? Yes! Nice, non-varicose/spider vein legs…I miss not having those.
Movement: All over the place. You especially like to move around at 10:00 p.m.every single night.
Food cravings: Everything. This part of the pregnancy, my appetite is out of control. And it’s SO DANG HARD not to drink a nice ice cold coke every once in a while!
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: BOY…now if only we can settle on your name.
Labor Signs: No but the Braxton hicks have started.
Symptoms: Feeling way pregnant lately. I think having a toddler running around at home makes for a more symptomatic pregnancy in general.
Belly Button in or out? Out…oh so out!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Crazy moods lately. No one can keep up with my moods these days.
Looking forward to: So much to look forward to in the upcoming months…especially celebrating your Daddy and Big Brother’s birthdays!

20 weeks! Half way!

We got to see our handsome boys face at our 20 week visit. We were shocked at the resemblance between his and Trent’s ultrasound pictures.

The ultrasound tech was amazed at how healthy our strong boy is growing. It was probably one of the best ultrasounds I’ve ever had. She spent at least 45 minutes going over and pointing out each little body part and organ. Too cool!

I’m feeling great these days minus the lower back pain that will just not let up. Going to the prenatal chiropractor weekly (sometimes twice weekly) has been helping but, for some reason, my sacrum keeps getting jammed up. It’s so painful at night trying to sleep. More so at night since I’m not moving and it gets so stiff. I’m praying this lets up before labor or I am in for a wild experience!

At first I thought my belly was growing super fast compared to Trent’s, but now it seems as though it’s about the same size as I was this far along with him. My appetite sure seems heavier, though. I’m craving anything and everything…sweet and salty.

I’m still trying to decide where I’ll deliver. We’re so blessed to have options for choosing other than a typical hospital labor room filled with medical interventions.  We can have the baby at home, at the birth center, or at the hospital. I don’t have to know specifically for a few more months. Where you labor matters and it has an effect on the outcome of your birth and the interventions you entail while doing so. The less interventions, the better for both Mommy and Baby! Birth is a completely natural process…we want to keep it that was as much as possible. 

I can't believe we're at the half way mark...still seems unreal that we're about to have another little one....I don't think it will ever sink in...so excited! 

How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain: Approx 12 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleep has not been fun lately with this lower back pain.
Best moment this week: See our boys precious ultrasound! Oh it makes it so real and exciting! 

Miss Anything? Yes, comfortable sleep would be wonderful.
Movement: All over the place! I can even finally get it on video.
Food cravings: Everything.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: Baby boy!
Labor Signs: No…but started having Braxton Hicks.
Symptoms: Feeling pretty good these days...nights are a different story. Belly Button in or out? It's finally outWedding rings on or off? OnHappy or Moody most of the time: Happy!Looking forward to: August is going to be a fun month filled with Birthdays! I’m looking forward to fall…my favorite time of year and countdown for baby!

18 weeks

18 Weeks

We are so excited about another little boy joining our family! I know I would have been ecstatic over having a girl or boy but truthfully deep down I really longed for another boy this go around. I can’t wait to see my two boys grow up so close in age side by side. I pray they are best friends from the get go. What an honor and privilege to be able to raise these boys and watch them grow up into strong yet gentle men of God. I can’t think of a better gift to be given.

Randy’s been working so hard trying to get some of our endless list of house projects finished. I’ve never known another man to be so dedicated and hard working for his family. He’s got to get these projects done before hunting season of course…it’s just around the corner!

The past couple of weeks we’ve been working with Trent and swimming. I believe the earlier the better when it comes to teaching them how to swim. He’s comfortable in the water so we are slowly teaching him how to go under and learn to swim to the side for safety. I cannot wait to have a pool at our new home. It was so nice having one while being pregnant with Trent. Every evening after work I would get in the water just to relax and relieve some of that pressure and back pain.

Now starts the process of picking out all things baby: name, nursery décor, lists of what we need/don’t need, organizing…ahhh it’s oh so busy but fun at the same time.

We have so much to look forward to…Trent turns two in August…I can barely fathom the thought of my baby being two years old. I guess we will muster up enough courage to cut his precious curly blonde hair for his birthday. Only just a trim though…I’m not getting rid of that head of beautiful hair!

How far along? 18 weeks
Total weight gain: Approx 8 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No BUT, Randy did point out a very new symptom of this crazy pregnancy. Varicose veins. He noticed one of my veins popping out of the back of my right leg the other night and was like “OMG you’re getting your Dad’s veins” haha. Just another pregnancy battle wound for this mama I guess.
Sleep: Sleep has been ok…it’s starting to get a tad bit uncomfortable finding a good position to sleep on my side. Speaking of sleep…Trent is doing great sleeping on his own in his room. He cried just a bit the first two nights, but after that nothing. I love going into his room in the morning and the first thing he does is clap his hands and say “yay” to congratulate himself for being such a big boy. It’s the little things…it truly is.
Best moment this week: We’ve had a wonderful couple of weeks after finding out another handsome boy is joining our crazy family. We had fun telling everyone and watching their expressions. I’m convinced those Greene boys just produce boys. I told Randy maybe we need to try for a 3^rd to see if that’s true…he just gave me this crazy look. 

Miss Anything? No. Everything is moving right along…wouldn’t want it any other way.
Movement: Baby boy is definitely moving around in there. I can’t wait for the movements to pick up and get stronger!
Food cravings: This past weekend I was craving salsa. I made my first home made regular salsa and fruit salsa for our gender reveal get together at Aunt Pat’s. Both were delicious.   
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: Another BOY!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: My breathlessness has calmed way down…it’s pretty normal now actually. I have no clue what that was that I went through the past few weeks. I guess I’ll just chalk it up to being one of those unexplainable weird pregnancy symptoms and nothing more.
Belly Button in or out? In half way J
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: We are looking forward to fun 4^th of July festivities and starting the process of putting your nursery together.

16 Weeks

Ok pregnancy, you can slow down now that you have calmed down! I really enjoy being pregnant as long as the insane symptoms aren’t making me nuts. I barely had any with Trent which made for a very happy pregnancy so this go around has definitely thrown me for a loop. Still though, it’s such a blessing to even be carrying a miracle from above I just wish life could slow down so I could enjoy it more. It’s a lot harder to relish all the little details when you have a toddler for sure. But, that’s ok because we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Trent knows where the baby is. He’ll point to my belly when asked. One of the most exciting things about this baby is going to be Trent’s reaction/interaction. Some exciting times are to come in the Greene household for sure!

I’ve still been feeling a little breathless but it’s calmed down a little bit. I think this is just a funky pregnancy symptom. I’m not as worried about it as before. I sound like an obese person who just ran a marathon when walking but that’s ok. My midwife pretty sure it will start to calm down, but if it doesn't we'll just need to have a few extra tests done.

Trent insisted on including his parrot.

How far along? 16 weeks
Total weight gain: Approx 7 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes, and just bought some more bra’s. Ladies...boobs get twice as big with
the second pregnancy...or at least in my case they have. I went ahead and purchased nursing
bras. This makes better sense then to waste money on regular ones just to have to purchase
more. I just made sure I got a couple a little larger than what I am now.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I’ve been sleeping very well. We are in the process of teaching Trent to go to sleep on
his own in his big boy room and so far so good. This is a BIG DEAL for the Greene house. We've been so obsessed with rocking and cuddling Trent I almost thought I'd never be able to give it up. But, we've got to get ready for the new bundle of joy and still get to cuddle just not all the way to sleep. A sleeping Trent in Trent's room makes for a very happy and sleeping Mama.
Best moment this week: Despite the news of our Granny passing, I did get to finally see my
brother! It’s been a year and half so it was much needed! Trent loved Uncle Davo and followed
him everywhere. I cannot wait till we live closer one day. We also got to spend time with Aunt Lou Lou and Uncle Adam and are thrilled that they have moved closer to Florida finally. Trent and our new baby are so blessed with awesome Aunts and Uncles!
Miss Anything? I’m hitting the stage in pregnancy where I feel pretty normal (not if you ask
Randy of course haha), but other than the breathlessness stuff I feel good. I don’t miss anything
really. Believe it or not, this week I’ve started to not be able to drink decaf coffee which is odd
because I’m a major coffee person.
Movement: I’ve continued to feel little movements here and there.
Food cravings: Chicken Noodle Soup (so odd considering I’ve never been a huge soup fan).
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: We shall see! I knew from the very beginning I was having a boy with Trent (just an
instinct I guess). This time I am clueless. We are so excited for either another boy or precious
girl.
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Still a little breathless and of course the lower back pain. I’ve got to get to a
chiropractor. I’ve heard they are great during pregnancy and I need this pain to go away before labor.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and moody (you can be both at once I promise)
Looking forward to: So much to look forward to! We are going to have a fun filled father's day weekend in Salt Springs!

!!!!!!!!!!!!UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!

We got to see our precious bundle of joy today at the birth center! The ultrasound tech was amazed at how much the baby was moving and such a strong heart beat. Still measuring for the week of Thanksgiving. Our actual due date is November 24th but you can never go by that. It's just a guess. 

We were able to share the precious moment of finding out if you are a boy or girl together as a family. We can not wait to share our exciting news with everyone, but want to wait until we tell our immediate family first. We can hardly contain ourselves. God is so good to us. What do you think...boy or girl? 

Celebrating!

14 Weeks

14 weeks

The past couple of weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions for this Mama. We had a wonderful family vacations in Islamorada Key. Trent is truly a beach baby and absolutely loves throwing rocks in the water, looking for “fishies”, picking up sand, and saying “night night Sun” every evening on the water. He did great in the swimming pool, too! I can’t wait to watch him grow up going to this annual family trip and hope he learns to appreciate it just as much as his Mee Mee does.

We came back home to very sad news that my sweet Granny had taken a turn for the worse. In short, she passed on May 28^th, 2014, but lived a wonderful life of 89 years. I’m still trying to grasp the fact that she is no longer here...it just hasn’t hit me yet. But I am so thankful to have been giving such precious time with her. She was looking forward to the new baby so much and kept telling me over and over again how I was going to have a little girl. We shall see, Granny, we shall see…we love you Granny.

I haven’t felt very good the past week or so…started getting very breathless whenever I stand up or walk even a short distance. We’re watching this carffully and might need to check into it further but, as of right now, I’m praying it’s just all of the added blood volume causing my heart to work much harder. We’re definitely going to keep an eye on it because I’m not used to having to sit down after walking a few steps.

Besides that, everything is going wonderfully and we as so blessed to be getting ready for this precious baby. Randy has already knocked out quite a bit of his “honey-do” list before the baby gets here.

Oh and I felt our sweet little bean move, or shall we say “flutter” for the first time at week 14. I read that you might feel the baby earlier with the second pregnancy and that is very true. I didn’t feel Trent until around week 18 I believe. I guess it’s because you know what to look for this go around.

As you can tell, pregnancy belly is showing a lot sooner this time…

How far along? 14 weeks

Total weight gain: Approx 5 lbs 

Maternity clothes? Oh yes, although I think i'm still in that "she looks like she's been eating too much" phase instead of the cute pregnancy belly phase.

Stretch marks? None yet

Sleep: Sleep has gotten a lot better. I don't feel as lethargic now. 

Best moment this week: Spending precious time with the family at the keys AND feeling you move (just a little flutter is all) at 14 weeks.

Miss Anything? I miss being able to walk without having to stop and take a breather every few steps...I'm praying this breathlessness goes away fast! 

Movement: I can feel little flutters here and there if I pay really close attention. I've felt you move much sooner than with Trent. 

Food cravings: Ramen noodles (so odd considering it's been years since i've had them), sushi, Mambo sours

Anything making you queasy or sick: Thankfully, this part is over with!

Gender: We can find out as soon as 16 weeks. Not sure when we will, though!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms:  Breathless, but other than that, feeling pretty good. My lower back hurts if I do a much of work and lift Trent a lot. My midwife says this might be my coccyx bone that could have been fractured or bruised during labor with Trent. 

Belly Button in or out? In 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: My moods have gotten better if I can just calm down with the "to-do" lists.

Looking forward to: Aunt Lou Lou and Adam coming home!