That was then, this is now

I start week 29 of my pregnancy today, and we are officially in the third trimester!  I absolutely cannot believe that we only have about 10-11 more weeks to go before we meet our little one.  :)  I won't say that this pregnancy has flown by, but time has definitely gone by a lot faster this time with a toddler to take care of while working full-time. 

A few other ways this pregnancy is noticeably different than pregnancy #1:

• Then, I played tennis until I could no longer reach around my belly to complete a full backhand swing.  Now... my racquet is collecting dust bunnies in the closet.
• Then, I shopped for hours to find the perfect cute maternity tankini.  Now... I'm all about the all-black one piece I picked off the rack at Target.  It's comfortable, covers everything, and I love it.
• Then, I kept a minimum of three pregnancy-related books on my nightstand and religiously read them all. And made Andrew read a "daddy" book.  Now... I get weekly updates on baby's growth delivered via my e-mail inbox. 
• Then, I attended almost every single prenatal class that my hospital offered.  Now... I attend the weekly viewing of the final season of "Lost" in my living room.
• Then, I took a nap after work almost every day in my first and third trimesters and on both days of the weekend.  Now... I can count the number of naps I've had in the last seven months on my two hands.
• Then, I stocked up on every single baby thing that "they" said I needed and that I thought I couldn't live without was just too precious to pass up!  Now... I've bought some new pacifiers and diapers, and just a few things we actually needed last time and didn't have -- sleepers that zip instead of snap, socks that actually stay on, and newborn onesies (that 0-3 months size does not fit newborns).
• Then, I placed iPod speakers on my belly for baby to listen to classical music and made Andrew talk to my belly.  Now... baby #2 gets to enjoy the sound of big sister learning to "sing" and to eavesdrop on our bedtime stories. 
• Then, I wondered about how much a baby would really change our lives.  Now... I know that we are getting ready to plunge into complete and total chaos -- less money, more laundry, no sleep -- and I couldn't be happier.  :)  I could NEVER in my wildest dreams have imagined the amount of pure love and laughter that Lucy would bring into our lives, and I can already feel my heart expanding in preparation for the arrival of a new little person.

It's still a complete mystery about how Lucy will react to the baby, what she will look like and how her unique personality will fit into our family dynamic.  But, we already love her and cannot wait to know her soon. 

In the meantime, check out this video about how baby will grow between now and week 37: http://www.babycenter.com/2_inside-pregnancy-weeks-28-to-37_3658874.bc.  (Note ~ might not be suitable for kids).  Amazing!

This is what 22 weeks looks like...

...the second time around. :)

I had my 22/23 weeks check-up on Wednesday, and everything looks great! Baby's heartbeat is perfect, she's kicking around like crazy, and I finally gained some weight. I got a lecture at my last appointment because I had only gained 2 pounds in my entire pregnancy up until that point (even though my belly was already pretty big). Apparently all that king cake did the trick!

And yes, I said SHE! I think we've already told most everyone, but my 20-wk ultrasound revealed that baby Powers #2 is another girl! Andrew says we're going to try for #3 now, but I think he is failing to take the following information into consideration:

1. We've yet to win the Louisiana lottery,
2. Baby #3 could also very likely be a girl (there being a 50/50 chance and all), and
3. He is a really great Daddy to little girls.

We would have been super excited either way, but at least now we don't have to buy any clothes, bibs, blankets, etc. in any blue shades. I think we've decided on Hannah for baby's first name, but we're still working on a middle name. Please keep this little one in your prayers as she continues to grow. We can't wait to meet her in just four months! Crazy.

Caption: Apparently baby girl already shares her father's proclivity for mooning people.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you

Baby Powers ultrasound #1 ~ December 15

Since I found out I was pregnant in mid-October, I have most definitely experienced the full gamut of early pregnancy symptoms -- extreme fatigue, nauseau, headaches, heartburn, and other gastrointestional unpleasantness (which shall not be described further here)...  We saw the bright pink plus sign on the pregnancy test, but there is absolutely nothing in this world that makes the reality of a new life being formed inside your body a reality like seeing the baby during the first ultrasound.  Absolutely, positively breathtaking.  Hearing that strong heartbeat and seeing the formation of those precious limbs is so amazingly reassuring when you can't know what's going on inside your womb.

Apparently Baby Powers is happy and right at home in there -- she was kicking and floating around with a beautiful ease.  At one point the baby was face down and brought a hand up close to its face which disturbed its equilibrium and quickly brought her right side up again.  We both smiled and laughed at getting to see this little one performing gymnastics in all his comic glory.  :)   

When we saw Lucy's first ultrasound, she was only around 8 weeks old and she was tiny.  You could hardly make out any features at all and she looked more like than a peanut than a human being. The ultrasound for this baby happened between 12-13 weeks, and the amount of development that occurs within just this short time span is remarkable.  We could see the heart and a nose and lips and arms and legs. And by now it has fingernails and fingerprints and kidneys...  Did I mention how amazing the miracle of life is?

As we were leaving the appointment, I turned to Andrew and asked him what this baby's nickname was going to be (Lucy's was "Peanut").  His immediate response: "Peanut II."  Duh. Of course.

Lucy's BIG news

I'M GOING TO BE A BIG SISTER! Hooray!!! I'm so excited to have a new baby to play with.

At least I was until I found out that Mommy's almost 12 weeks along which means that my little brother or sister has the same due date that I did (June 25) and might even be born on my birthday. I don't want to share my birthday! I'm still a really big deal, right?

My Daddy is secretly thrilled at the idea of only having to pay for one party. :) I get to see pictures of the new baby for the first time on Dec. 15th. I'll share them with you soon. Yeah!

Love, Lucy