4:45 am, leaving for the hospital

The sweet outfit that daddies get to wear in the OR

I was so excited! Like, LETS DO THIS in all caps, excited.

About to go into the OR, full of nervous energy

And, at 0806, he's here! Garrett Bradley, 6 lbs, 4 oz, 19 inches

Holding him for the first time, almost 2 hours later. Our hospital doesn't allow Baby in Mom's recovery room :(

The much cuter version of the first picture

KB meeting Baby G for the first time

Getting to hold both of my babies for the first time

Welcome aboard, little buddy!

                                      

*Disclaimer: After re-reading, I realize that I'm just rambling. I'm sorry for that, but I can't find a better way to articulate what's in my brain. Thanks for bearing with me!*

I'm sorry that I keep writing about my pregnancy.. Really, I am. But since it's what dominates my thoughts, and this is where I try really hard to expel thoughts from my mind, this is where the thoughts go.

About 4 weeks ago, my OB mentioned to me that 34 weeks was the magic healthy week for an unborn baby. Or, for that matter, a born baby. Babies born at 34 weeks generally have very few health problems, and typically only require a short NICU visit. So, she said, if they could get me to 34 weeks, I'd most likely have a healthy little guy.

In that same conversation, she told me that she really felt that with the amount of monitoring I was going through, they would most likely have a 10 day heads up if I were to start getting sick.

Here we are at 33 weeks, 5 days, and Baby G and I are perfectly healthy. Know what that means? That means that even if I WERE to have the first signs of pre-eclampsia at my appointment Friday (which we are all still praying will not happen), I would most likely get well into the 35 week range before they had to deliver G.  Know what's healthier than a 34 week baby? A 35 week baby.

KB was born at 33 weeks, 3 days. I'm two days past that now, which means I'm two days past my anxiety point. I guess that all along I've been praying to just get there with a healthy baby, and then anything past there was a bonus. Now that I know I'm getting to that bonus, I feel so relieved.

It hasn't helped my anxiety that Jason has been gone for the past two weeks. He got the opportunity to do some really awesome submarine stuff in D.C., and I don't blame him for taking that opportunity. It just really sucked that it meant him leaving me when he had to. We're at the end of those two weeks, however, and all of us have made it!

And I'm pretty sure I only had 2 or 3 meltdowns along the way.

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has been praying for my little family during this pregnancy. I firmly believe that prayers are answered, and so far, this pregnancy has been going very smoothly.


But here's the exciting reason that I'm posting! We had another growth scan on Friday, and Baby G is a big, healthy boy! He's officially two pounds heavier than KB was when she was born. Right now he weighs roughly 4 pounds,10 ounces at 32 weeks. He's a long guy, and his length is measuring closer to 34 weeks, about 18 inches.


Dr. Hirata, my GD specialist, says he wouldn't expect for G to fall off his growth curve. The only problem may be that he actually gets "too big" because of my GD. I put too big in quotes because there is just no such thing for me, to be honest. I have to have a c-section anyway, so what do I care if he's a 10 pounder (as long as he's healthy)??  


We can expect Baby G to gain about half a pound per week between now and delivery, so even as I write this, he's closer to 5 pounds. I just can't believe it! KB CAME HOME from the NICU at 4 pounds, 8 ounces. Came home!!  She rode in a car seat, and slept in her bouncy seat for the first time, all at a weight that her unborn baby brother has already surpassed!  Such a blessing..


So, with 6.5 weeks until delivery, I'd say we're looking at an 8 pound baby boy. I can't wait!


Oh, and one last thing.. We got a 4d ultrasound, probably our last one, and Baby G still won't show us what he looks like. He's always snuggled up with the placenta, so his facial features can't be distinguished. He did give us this view, though! It's his booty cheeks!

So now that the bloggy world knows the gamut of issues I'm dealing with, I'll go into detail about the tests they are subjecting me to. I use the term "subjecting" very loosely. In fact, I'm happy to have every single test they've got. Well.. I wouldn't want an amniocentesis, but I'd still do it if I needed to.


When Dr. Chapman first heard my medical history, she got me doing bloodwork STAT. I did blood tests to see if I had any underlying conditions that may cause high BP, to check my liver enzymes, and to check my blood platelet level. All were totally normal, and all have been repeated twice since then, and I wouldn't be surprised if she did the tests again in a few weeks, just to be sure.


Soon after that I began seeing a Maternal Fetal Internist for my BP at the Fetal Diagnostic Institute at Kapi'olani Women's and Children's hospital. They did the same thing - ran a bunch of tests, did some ultrasounds, had me pee in a jug for 24 hours, etc. Everything came back perfectly normal.


Since I had GD with KB, the chances were high that I would get it this time around, too. So Dr. Chapman tested me for that early on. Yep, I had it. So then I got a new specialist in a new office. Now I am also seeing a Maternal Fetal Internist for Gestational Diabetes at Diagnostic Institute of the Pacific. See how confusing that can get??


What's fun is that all of these separate offices and separate doctors, specialists, and nurse practitioners are all giving me ultrasounds. Thus, we've seen Baby G a grand total of 11 times so far, with another one scheduled for Friday.


Right now I get to see Baby G at least once a week until I deliver. It's not a big 4d ultrasound or anything; just a quick little one to measure the amount of amniotic fluid in there. Before that happens (every Tuesday) I get strapped down to a reclining chair and they monitor me for contractions and monitor Baby G's heart. Starting next Tuesday, I do that not just once, but twice a week until he comes. 


This is all in conjunction with measuring my blood sugar levels four times a day, reporting those numbers to the GD team that monitors me once a week, and seeing the Dr. there once a month. 


See what I mean?? I'm a lab rat! But the knowledge that my baby boy is growing just like he should be keeps me from caring that I get poked and prodded a lot. 

I promised you guys some thoughts on Pre-eclampsia, so here we go!


What caused me to give birth to KB at 33 weeks was a more severe form of pre-eclampsia called HELLP syndrome. Pre-e can attack different organs, and in my case it attacked the liver. There is really no telling how long I had been suffering from Pre-E on the day that I met my new OB in Mississippi for the first time. What I do know is this:


I saw my PCM at 27 weeks. In Guam you don't get an OB unless you are considered a high risk pregnancy. I was a normal pregnancy at this time, so I continued to see my regular ole physician. 
Never, in the entire 27 weeks I saw him for this pregnancy, did he get a urine sample. I should have known that was a problem, but I had no idea. 
Also, since I was seeing a doctor at the regular clinic, I was having regular clinic technicians do my blood pressure stuff before appointments. It's possible that they were unaware that a woman in her second trimester of pregnancy should have a much lowered BP. My BP was consistently in the 120's during these weeks, but nobody ever said anything was wrong with that. 
Since hitting my second trimester with Baby G, I have learned that the 120's are actually too high for a normal pregnant woman. A pregnant woman has up to a 60% higher blood volume. Her hormones cause her BP to drop drastically to accommodate the extra blood. My BP rests around 105/70 now, but at this point in my pregnancy with KB, it was consistently in the 120/80 range. I guess they just didn't know that was a warning sign for Pre-E.


28 weeks - Took test for GD at the Naval Hospital, didn't see my regular physician.


29 weeks - Diagnosed with GD over the telephone by regular physician. He informed me that I was now considered high risk and would be reassigned to an OB at the hospital.


30 weeks - Met with new OB and dietitian at the Naval Hospital. No urine sample or BP was taken at this meeting. They went over the diet information and told me that they'd see me again in 2 weeks. I informed them that I was actually headed Stateside within the week to have my baby in Mississippi.


31 weeks - Left Guam for Hawaii via Space A since I knew a plane would be leaving Hawaii for Mississippi within the week.


32 weeks - Arrived in Mississippi, had a 5 day wait before I could meet my new OB.


33 weeks - Met my new OB, and delivered KB via emergency c-section 5 hours later.


SO. Now I'm in Hawaii and I have a marvelous OB, as I've previously mentioned. As soon as she found out about my awesome pregnancy history, she began running tests. Since this post is long already, I'll save the tests I'm being subject to for tomorrow's post.


Since I am being so closely monitored, she sees no reason why they can't get Baby G to full-term. Also, (and also because I'm being so closely monitored,) she thinks that if the Pre-E were to set in, she'd be able to give me a good week's notice that I was getting sick. They would start even heavier monitoring at the very first sign, such as protein in the urine, or an elevated BP. I would go on bed rest and try to remain as calm as possible, since stress definitely elevates your BP.


She said that the magic gestational age for a healthy baby is 34 weeks, and that's probably why KB was so healthy since she was very close to 34 weeks. 34 weekers have significantly fewer instances of lung problems, which greatly reduces the time they spend in the NICU. So for his health's sake, we need to get him to 34 weeks. That's only 2.5 weeks away, y'all! I have every intention of being pregnant for at least 5 more weeks, but I could easily have a healthy baby in under 3! That's crazy.


So, for those who are anxiously awaiting every single pregnancy post, tomorrow I'll discuss how being high risk makes your relationship with your OB (and every single member of her staff) go to a whole new level.

You know, pregnancy isn't supposed to be tricky. 


One would think that since women have been doing this since time eternal, it would be a breeze. We get pregnant, feel crappy for a few months, feel great for a few months, feel miserable for a few months, and then we have a brand new baby to make it all worth it. 


Right? 
Isn't that how it's supposed to go? 


Unfortunately for many of us, that isn't the way of things. I've learned so much this pregnancy that most women never know. I'm not really bitter about it, because I know it has all been a part of a plan much bigger than mine, but I would like to share.


My first fun little issue is this: 1) I have Gestational Diabetes, which is really quite manageable. The concept is very easy. The placenta keeps my body from producing the insulin it needs during pregnancy, so sugar doesn't dissolve like it should. The extra sugar pretty much goes straight to baby. The main concern with GD is that mother could easily gain a lot of weight, and then baby can get too large. This is treated by eating a low carb diet and exercising regularly. 


The first few months after I was diagnosed, I had it so easy. I quickly learned that I could still eat whatever I wanted as long as I got off my tush and moved during the hour after eating. Same applies if I just kept moving all day, which, as many of you know, is easy to do when you have a 15 month old. My GD specialist told me that was mainly because I was only borderline diabetic when they got my positive test. He warned me though, that as the pregnancy goes on, my placenta will be less and less able to produce insulin. Read as: Enjoy eating cake now, because when you're 8 months pregnant, it'll all be over.


Well, that was a fact. Here in the last 2 weeks, my numbers have creeped higher and higher. I think it's a combination of being less active because I'm more pregnant, and the GD just creeping up on me because I'm more pregnant. Those first 2 months were nice, though. But here I am, 8 months pregnant, and I'm no longer supposed to eat dessert. Or bread in normal quantities. Or fruit in the mornings, when the hormones are highest. Big sigh. 


This is really hard for me for a few reasons. 


First of all, I've only gained 12 lbs. I'm actually on the very bottom of my "recommended weight gain" scale. So, hello? I'm not getting too big. 


Secondly, Baby G is firmly in the 50th percentile for his weight. His length is closer to the 75th percentile, but that has nothing to do with GD, it's just because his Daddy is a tall dude. 


Thirdly, I HAD A TWO POUND BABY 17 MONTHS AGO. Lord in Heaven, GIVE ME A PORKER! I'll take a 9 pound baby any day!


My OB is actually very supportive of my feelings on this. In fact, at my last appointment, she helped a lot. She explained that it was the HELLP syndrome that caused KB to be so small. Pre-eclampsia does that. So her words were "GD causes big babies. Pre-e causes small babies. You probably will have both. So while I'm not telling you to have cake and sodas every day, don't freak out over the diet. Be zen. Take it easy." I love my OB.


I just realized that I have quite a lot to say on this topic of my pregnancy with Baby G. Since I don't want this post to cross your eyes from having to read so much, I'm going to do them in parts. Tomorrow, boys and girls, we'll learn about pre-eclampsia!! 

Our little Bean at 8 weeks

Hiding his face with his hands, 14 weeks

Incontrovertible proof that Baby is a boy! - 14 weeks

Sucking his thumb, 24 weeks

His little feeties! 25 weeks

Arm up by his head, 25 weeks

28 weeks - This one looks a bit creepy, sorry about that. It's because his face was smushed up next to the placenta, apparently. This is actually the least creepy face picture from today. You're welcome.

I'm going to get my little rant over with at the beginning, so here goes.

I have Gestational Diabetes, and I'm pissed off about it. I'm mad that my body (apparently) doesn't handle pregnancy well. I'm angry that I have to do this diet or risk having a huge jaundiced baby. And lastly, I'm REALLY mad that my chances of having Type 2 Diabetes later in life are greatly increased.  Pissed, I tell you!

There is good news here, being that I don't crave sweets this time nearly as often as I did with KB. I know I can do the diet, I'm just not happy about it.  The other good news is that once I start the diet on Friday, I will most likely lose weight, or at least not gain much more. I'm at a grand total of 5 pounds gained now, so maybe I'll just stay around there.

Now on to the real good news!

We saw KB's dietitian last week, and she made me feel so much better about my tiny girl. She was very impressed with the variety of foods that KB will eat, and even how much of some foods she will eat. She said to keep doing what we're doing, which is a lot of cheese, butter and avocado. She helped me with the balance issue by telling me to pretty much give KB what we eat, with a side of something fattening. Ahh, that makes more sense!  She was also very impressed with KB's development. She gushed over how well she stands, especially for as small as she is. KB got really talkative after we'd been there a while, and the dietitian was really impressed with her vocabulary, too. So yay for my awesome, tiny little thing!

More good news!

We had another ultrasound on Monday, and the tech saw that we have a big, healthy boy in there. And when I say big, I mean big. She measured his femur and she said, "Oh wow.. Really??  Well, I guess Dad is tall, too." She said he's going to be very tall, and he's already in the 76th percentile on height for his gestational age. I was glad to hear that he's a big boy after what we went through with KB.

After the ultrasound I met my new specialist. He's a Maternal Fetal Internist, to be exact. (I'd never even heard of that until I scheduled my appointment with him.)  He was so friendly, joking with me the whole time. He was also happy with how much I know about what my body went through with KB. I laughed, thinking "Yes, I'm obsessive and did my homework." He was happy that I've been taking baby aspirin since 8 weeks, and recommended that I take it until just a few weeks before delivery. We went over symptoms and he said he thinks I have about a 70% chance of not having issues this time.

Overall, I have a good feeling about the pregnancy, despite the GD.

I guess I should be thankful, because, if nothing else.. the GD adds 3 more people who are monitoring me and Baby G.  As of right now I have an Obstetrician, an Internist, a Dietitian, a Nurse Practitioner, and a Perinatologist.  I'll meet the Dietitian and NP on Friday when I go for a class on GD. Then I'll meet the Perinatologist on the 4th. I don't even know what a Perinatologist does, other than I know he'll be monitoring me and G to make sure I have the healthiest pregnancy possible.

We had a bunch of appointments today, and they were all very productive!

We got KB's 12 month shots done, finally. I hate the thought of poor Pumpkin getting poked so I begged Jason to take the morning off work and go with us. I'll admit it - I'm a wuss when it comes to Baby Girl.  She was such a champ, though!

First up was her TB poke. It's required once a year for children in Hawaii because TB is still a problem here. Well, it's not required if the baby isn't in childcare, which KB isn't. I wanted to get it for her, though, because she does spend time with other children at her babysitter's and at church. You just never know, right?  My brave baby literally just watched the tech place the needle under her skin and inject her. Just watched it! She didn't even flinch!  Then we had to do HEP B. *It should have been finished at 6 months, but the awesome clinic in Guam didn't do it. Thanks guys, one more shot for Baby Girl to have to get today.* She handled that one like a rockstar, too. She watched, didn't even flinch, and didn't cry.  Then came Hep A.  Again, no crying.. but this time there was flinching. MMR was next, and she was beginning to be annoyed by the needles. She started crying about half-way through. Last was Chickenpox, and I'm sad to say she did cry. She didn't scream, though, and she only cried for about 30 seconds!  By the time we left the clinic 10 minutes later, she was blowing kisses to the nurses. She's such a sweet baby!

Next we met with KB's pediatrician for a weight check. On August 29, she weighed 14 lbs, 9 oz. Today she weighed 15 lbs, 1 oz. The ped explained that it was a good, normal growth rate, (13 grams a day.. and only other preemie parents will appreciate weight being measured in grams) but not the catch-up growth she would like to see in a preemie. Dr. Koss is referring us to a nutritionist at the hospital, with whom we'll probably meet next week. The nutritionist will have food/calorie/intake goals for KB to meet on a daily basis. I hope he/she has some ideas for fatty foods other than what we're doing right now, because we're lost. Right now she eats a lot of cottage cheese, avocado, and cheddar slices. She's doing alright with peanut butter, but it isn't her favorite.

Now on to me and BF2.  Today I met my OB for the second time. I got excited first of all because my blood pressure was so good at only 121/79. It's funny that I even notice that now, since my BP has been perfect my entire life. But when it sky-rockets once, you tend to notice the numbers later on.  Dr. Chapman came in and found BF2's heartbeat right away. I was hoping for an ultrasound, but it was not on her agenda for today.  We discussed a lot:  My baseline numbers (liver enzymes, platelets, etc) all came back completely normal from my first appointment.  I'm scheduled to meet my Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist in mid-October, around 18 weeks.  They'll run a bunch of tests on me and BF2, as well as do the full anatomy scan then.

Dr. Chapman put my mind a little further at rest about recurring problems. She told me that chances are higher in your first pregnancy, or your first pregnancy with a new father. Since Jason happens to be my baby daddy with both babies, my chances are lower of recurring issues.  I knew that little piece of information, but it was nice to hear it repeated by a professional.  We also discussed my aversion to meat. She'd like to see me getting a little more protein, so protein shakes and smoothies may be the answer.

All in all, today was great. I'm glad to know that I am progressing well, and that KB is gaining weight. Keep the prayers coming for all of us, please! We definitely appreciate them!

When I got pregnant with KB, I was obsessed with my weight.  Well, rather.. I was obsessed with being healthy and having a healthy pregnancy.  I continued to be active, but not overly so. I didn't eat too much, mostly because I had a tiny appetite.  The suggested weight gain for pregnant women in my weight bracket is 15 - 25 lbs. That was so easy for me! In fact, for most of my pregnancy, I was in the low end of my weight target.

Then, at 29 weeks I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. Ugh. I thought that only happened to unhealthy women! There I was walking daily, eating well, and it still happened! I did my research and no, it does not only happen to unhealthy or overweight women. Scientists believe that when Gestational Diabetes occurs, there is a malfunction in the placenta. So basically, you're doomed from the get-go, though your chances are higher if you're overweight.

I met with a new OB, a new nurse, and a nutritionist. They explained the new diet and how having GD can cause your baby to be extra-large. I had just done another ultrasound and found out that little KB was measuring a week behind. I mentioned this to the new OB, and she said "Oh, that's actually good for you.. maybe she won't be too big when she's born."

Well, I did my work and stuck to the recommended diet (for the most part). Three weeks later I went home to Mississippi and I had only gained a total of 12 pounds. I was so proud!  So by now you all know the story of how I delivered 5 days later at only 33 weeks. On delivery day, (again - just 5 days later), I had gained 19 lbs.. 7 pounds worth of water in just a few days. I lost 12 lbs overnight on the day I had KB.  And let's not forget, she was only 2 lbs, 11 oz.

So here I am, pregnant with BF2.  Though I had an incredible appetite for the first 4ish weeks that I was pregnant, it's tapered off. I've only gained 2 lbs so far, and again, I'm in the low end of my weight target.

So here's what scares me:  What if KB's low birth weight was partly due to my low weight gain?  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to give myself an excuse to balloon up. I mean, I don't even know if I could! My appetite is ridiculously small, and I am not craving fast food or anything, so don't worry.

I am just so afraid of what happened to me with KB happening again. My chances are higher, at nearly 20%.  Even if HELLP doesn't recur, my chances of Toxemia, Pre-Ecclampsia or Pregnancy Induced Hypertension are all greatly increased. That's reason enough to not be huge since those issues are all more likely to occur with a higher weight gain. Then again, I'm living proof that they occur when you follow your weight target to the letter.

I'm so bothered by this!

There is some evidence that shows that HELLP is also a malfunction of the placenta. So just like GD, you are doomed from the get-go.  I pray that's true, and I'm just not doomed this time.  Scientists don't really know, though.

Sigh.

HUGE Sigh.

I've already written once that this pregnancy is so different from my first one. It's held true so far. I am exhausted all the time, like I literally cannot get enough sleep. I'm sure that's partly due to having a one year old, but it can't be completely KB's fault. I have zero motivation, but I am also going to go ahead and blame that on the fact that my house is hot all the time.
(Insert: We live on the Windward side of Oahu, where it is rare for homes to be air conditioned. We knew this coming in, but we were under the impression that the breezes [WINDward, get it?] would keep us cool. We got gypped.  Our house has no ventilation through the living room except for one little place, and really no ventilation in the kitchen/dining room. I actually sweat while I try to get KB to eat anything. Insert over.)
My bedroom can actually get up to about 90 degrees, and I know the kitchen is hotter. So I never want to clean.. It's just too blame hot!

I began feeling little flutters from this little guy/gal last Friday. I feel him/her about once a day, and I love it. My next appointment with my awesome OB is in less than a week. I can't wait! I'm so hoping that she will do another ultrasound so that we get to see our little sea monkey.

KB is quickly becoming a little toddler. We caught her standing on her own about a week ago. She hasn't managed to stand for longer than 10 - 15 seconds, but she's making such progress!  We've also been working hard on getting her to gain weight, per the pediatrician. The ped's suggestion was the easiest thing you can imagine, high fat foods. I was sort of at a loss as to what to feed her to begin with. Then I had a good, long think about what foods I love but try not to eat too much of. So here we are - eating a lot of cheese and peanut butter.  Her favorites are cheddar slices and cottage cheese, but she also really likes guacomole, cream cheese and yogurt.

My little Pumpkin's new thing is that everything/everybody is "sweet". As in, "Sweet Mommy", "Sweet Daddy", "Sweet Dolly", etc. She makes a shhhhh sound (I guess for "sweet") and then she pets whatever she is holding or whoever is holding her. We always add in the "Sweet" part for her. Today I caught her giving herself kisses in the mirror, and then she started petting herself in the mirror making the "Ssshhh" sound. She's so smart, and so incredibly cute at the same time!

Kissing the best looking baby she could find

Giving "Sweet" pets

Jason and I decided months ago that if I were to get pregnant, I would switch to Tricare Standard so that I could see a private practice OB instead of someone at Trippler (our Military Treatment Facility).  Personally, my only problem with Trippler was that while I was seen there with KB, I only ever saw a nurse practitioner.  There's not a thing wrong with nurse practitioners, but when you know you're going to have a very high risk pregnancy, you want the OB.  Trust me.  

Yet another blog that I won't post for a while.  I doubt I make it all the way to 12 weeks to announce BF2, but I will for sure make it until at least the 8th.  That's when my first appointment is, and I'd like to announce with an ultrasound picture.  Anyway, enough of that...  on to my nauseating topic of choice today.

Dude, this sucks.  I never got nauseous a single time with KB, and here I am going on hour 13 of constant nausea today.  I've eaten crackers, drank ginger ale, nothing is working.  I tried to eat a salad for lunch and only managed a few bites.  Then for dinner I managed a whole bowl of mac and cheese because Jason loves me enough to make it.  It was the only thing that sounded the least bit appetizing.

Playing with KB all day has been hard, and I feel bad about that.  I don't want this pregnancy to come between us.  She's still my #1 girl, and she always will be, but I'm afraid of what taking care of myself will do to taking care of her.  I'm especially worried that I'll get put on bed rest in my final trimester, and that will really put a damper on Mommy and KB time.  Sigh.

Anyway, I will post this soon, hopefully!  Until then, I appreciate everyone for not unfollowing me for the lack of posts.  As you can see, I am writing!

Here's another hidden blog that y'all won't get to read for at least 2 weeks.

I really wish I had the ability to make that longer than 2 weeks, but I have a mouth on me.  AND I want everybody to know our happy news!  So I probably won't make it to the 12 week mark without spilling the beans.

I am, however, going to keep it under wraps from the Facebook/Twitter/Blogosphere until we have told all of our family members in person.  That will be at least another 1.5 weeks.. sigh.

So yes, back to the hormones.  Holy moly!  I'm a force to be reckoned with!  I don't remember my hormones being *this* bad *this* early with KB.  So far, I've cried at a Folger's commercial, seeing a little baby cry during my friend's wedding (because I missed KB), and seeing a little girl spin circles on the dance floor at the reception for the same wedding (also because I missed KB). I've also yelled at my very sweet husband, who almost never deserves being yelled at.  (Almost.)

I'm 4 weeks and 1 day today (Sunday, July 10).  I began having heart burn after every meal a few days ago, which sucks.  It better mean this baby has hair!  I've also been burping, which I find disgusting.  I keep apologizing to my friends for grossing them out, when it turns out that they haven't even noticed.

I've gotten nauseous a few more times, which officially makes it about 100% more often than I got nauseous with KB.

Know what I hope all of this means?  I hope it means that every thing about this pregnancy is different.  #1 - I hope that I don't get gestational diabetes.  #2 - I hope that my blood pressure stays normal.  #3 - I hope that this baby is HUGE!  #4 - I hope that I get to carry this baby to at least 36 weeks.

#5 - It would be cool if BF2 is a boy, but I don't necessarily hope for a boy.  I would love one baby of each sex, and I would love to carry on Jason's family name since he is the last blood-line Frederick.  I would also, however, love for KB to have a sister, since I don't really know what that's like.  So I don't so much hope for a boy, but it would be cool.

I'm writing this today, but I won't post it for almost two months..

We're expecting Baby #2!!

Here's how it all happened - without details that no one but my bestest friends will ever know:

Jason and I agreed that we wanted our babies close together.  We are both close in age to our closest siblings, and we liked growing up that way.  Yes, we know that having two babies under two will be a challenge, but we're ready for it!  Also, we are in the longest span of time Jason will ever have without going to sea.  It's almost 3.5 years, which seems perfect for expanding our family.  This way Jason will not miss out on any of the fun toddler things with KB and BF2 (Baby Fred 2).

So, having decided that, we knew we wanted to start trying for BF2 soon.  We assume we'll be PCSing back to the mainland around mid-February.  That means that if I were to get pregnant, we would have to fly myself and KB to the mainland around December.  We decided to do that because we're pretty sure that no doctor in his right mind is going to let me fly after trimester 3 begins.  So, Jason will take leave around Christmas stand-down and move us home to have BF2 before we move to wherever the new duty station will be.

So, we decided that if I got pregnant in June, it would be ok!  AND!  If I were to get pregnant in June, my due date would be March 17 - St. Patrick's Day!

On Thursday, June 30, I got suspicious.  I was nauseous a few times on Wednesday, and then nauseous off and on all day Thursday.  I told Mom to keep KB, I was headed to the drug store for a pregnancy test.  I came home and took it right away.  Faint, faint line, but a line nonetheless!  Mom couldn't really see it, though.


Friday morning, I took another test.  Still a very faint line.

Friday afternoon, in the company of two of my best friends in this world, I took another one.  This one was digital.. no faint lines, just a word: PREGNANT.  And I took it in the Walmart bathroom.  (Yes, really.)

I was telling them how I want to surprise Jason with the news, so if it turns out positive, I'm not going to tell anybody.  This older lady in the stall next to me says, "Except all of us in the Walmart bathroom, right??"  I walked out to find that I had an audience.  Jen and Lessa, the older lady, two young girls, and a Walmart employee were all standing around.  The Walmart employee used the restroom, then came out and continued to wait on the results.  "Well??  Are you??  Are we excited?!"

As of right now, Jason still does not know.  His PNEO exam is tomorrow morning, July 5th.  I don't want to add anything to the mix of his studying and test nerves.  He told me that I can tell him one way or the other after his exam.  I told him yesterday that I wasn't pregnant.. that way he won't keep at me about it!  I want to be able to surprise him!  I want to wait until after his PNEO interview in DC.  In fact, I want to wait until I see him in person when he gets off the plane!

I ordered a tank with a stork on it that says "Guess What?"  I'll be wearing it when he gets off the plane.

I ordered a onesie with this super cute graphic on it for KB to wear for us to tell the family.  I can't wait!