Pregnancy Update - Week 23

I can not believe I am starting my 6th month of this pregnancy.  Although it doesn't feel like it has gone by quickly, I can't imaging holding this baby girl in my arms is just 3 short months!!! I get quite emotional when I think about it. I often wonder how my heart can be more full than it already is, but I know it can. When I watch Carson love on my tummy and talk about his baby sister, I melt. I can not wait until Brian and I can introduce Carson to his little sister. I know that his life will forever be changed, in a wonderful way.

I had my last OB appointment on Friday and one of my dearest friends, Jenni, was here from Florida for a visit. I was so excited she could go to an appointment with me. I did the same with her when I visited Florida when she was pregnant with her oldest son, Hayden. This appointment was my first glucose test and I passed!!! I am sure that came as a surprise to my doctor as she just can't imagine how I can produce such large babies naturally. Although I passed, she sent me home with another one of those lovely orange glucola bottles so I can do it again in 6 weeks. She wants to test earlier and more frequently during this pregnancy to just be sure. We also talked about the heart palpitations that I had during my pregnancy with Carson. I have started to have more of them in this pregnancy, just earlier. These palpitations are different then they were with Carson. With Carson I felt as if my heart was racing, and it was - at times getting to 120 bpm at rest, and I felt light headed. This time, the feeling is more like an adrenaline rush. When they start, I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach that rises to my shoulders and I can feel the "fall" from it 30 sec to a min later. I also feel like my heart is beating out of my chest and its a little hard to catch my breath. Fortunately I was experiencing this during my appointment. The first time she took my pulse and it was only 60 bpm. And the second time it happened she listened to my heart and could actually hear it. She said it sounds like something called PVC - Premature Ventricular Contractions. 

PVC is a relatively common event where the heartbeat is initiated by the heart ventricles rather than by the sinoatrial node, the normal heartbeat initiator. A PVC may be perceived as a "skipped beat" or felt as palpitations in the chest. In a normal heartbeat, the ventricles contract after the atria have helped to fill them by contracting; in this way the ventricles can pump a maximized amount of blood both to the body and to the lungs. In a PVC, the ventricles contract first, which means that circulation is inefficient. However, single beat PVC arrhythmias do not usually pose a danger and can be asymptomatic in healthy individuals. Hormonal changes in females, such as that in pregnancy, can often cause these issues. My OB would like for me to do another 24 hour holter monitor test like I did when I was pregnant with Carson. So I have an appointment with my cardiologist on Wednesday. We will see what he says. This is all precautionary. The last time this happened they ran all kinds of tests including a echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound movie of the inside of the heart. Everything looked good then so I am pretty sure this will have the same result.

September 13, 2010

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along

23 weeks - 6 months

Symptoms

I am still feeling rather well. My energy levels have remained high. I do get uncomfortable when I eat too much considering my stomach is very limited in space these days.I feel like I have started the good 'ole pregnancy waddle already which is oh so attractive :-)

Weight gain: 13 lbs total

Movement:

She is a mover and a shaker, that is for sure! She is very active and I love it!!.

Preparations:

I started to dig through all the bins of Carson's old baby clothes to sell and donate and have also started sifting through the "baby gear". Haley's nursery is already starting to fill up and its time to start sorting through it all and finding a home for it. I feel like it takes me twice as much time to get through projects like this so I am starting early. Before I know it Halloween and Thanksgiving will be here and then there is Christmas! And if I plan to deliver around 37 weeks, like I did with Carson, Haley will be here in the middle of December!! Time flies as it is that time of the year so I am really trying to be proactive and prepare early.

Belly Shots:

 And here I am with Carson at 23 weeks - December 2007.

I'd say I am a bit bigger. You??

And yes Mom, I promise to take fewer "headless" photos. I just can't seem to get a decent picture of myself and I will just have to get Brian to take more for me :-)