Thursday, December 10, 2015

second pregnany vs. first pregnancy

Hello.

Today is a bit strange for me. It's Thursday. Graeme and Penny are with my parents for the day. Aaron is working. And someone else is deep-cleaning my house right now. (Merry Christmas to me!) The Christmas shopping is done. Maisy's room and clothes are ready. We have some newborn diapers. The hospital bags are packed. The infant carseat is installed next to Graeme's seat in the van.

Today is a day where I actually have no to-do list. And it's probably going to be the last day I can say that for quite awhile!

Tomorrow marks the start of the 37th week of this pregnancy. Only three weeks left until her due date! I very much want Maisy to stay inside until she's healthy and strong and ready for the world out here, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't ready for her to get here! So I'm hoping she's gearing up for her healthy debut sometime in December!

Graeme Grayson began his arrival three days after his due date and actually arrived four days past. At the time leading up to his birth, it of course felt like he was a billion days late. But, looking back after he was here, four days late seemed hardly bad at all. Except now that I'm pregnant again and nearing the end, I obviously can't think logically like that. My due date already seems far away and four days past that day sounds like an eternity from now. At the beginning of this pregnancy, I did not want her to come before Christmas. Now, I'm all like "Please come. Now."

So, we will see. Maybe Maisy Kate will take after me and like to be early for things.

She has been a bit different than her brother in several other areas, so, it could happen!

My pregnancies have been pretty similar to each other, but as I've gotten towards the end of this one, I have noticed it has been different in quite a few ways...



With Graeme, once I hit 14-ish weeks, I never got sick again.

With Maisy, I will very randomly get sick and throw up every two weeks or so. I can never place why. It's so strange. I also definitely have the swollen ankles/feet this time. Probably because I am just on my feet a lot more! I just feel more pregnant this time. Normal pregnancy symptoms that I didn't feel like I had last time...now I notice them. I don't know if that makes sense.



With Graeme, I exercised at the gym for 30 minutes almost every day until the very end.

With Maisy, I tried 5:00am gym days for a couple weeks before I got sick during my first trimester. Because 5:00am was about the only time I could go without sacrificing time with Aaron. Then the first trimester sickness hit hard for eight weeks and exercise was out of the question. And after that, yeah.... My exercise has consisted of running after a toddler all day long and keeping him alive, getting up and down off the floor one thousand times each day as he switches activities (a feat that feels like a 30 minute workout at this point), and picking him up at least 100 times a day (he is not light) because I could never say no to holding him when he's only going to be little and ask to be held for a short time and soon I'm going to have another baby to hold and will have to say no to him more often (sad!). So, there's my exercise...cardio, lifting weights, and whatever getting up and down off the floor equals...squats? 



With Graeme, I worked part-time and kept up with cleaning the house, laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking. But other than that, my time (and sleep!) was pretty flexible.

With Maisy, I also have a toddler to take care of. So, yeah. You get it. And I can't even imagine working full-time. You pregnant moms who work full-time...you're amazing.



With Graeme, Aaron and I could get up and head straight to the hospital with nothing to worry about when it was time to go. Penny would be fine for several hours until someone could get her.

With Maisy, we clearly have one other huge factor to consider:  Graeme. Meaning we cannot necessarily rush straight to the hospital in the middle of the night or something. I realize it is unlikely to be a rush. But it's still a bit nerve-wracking to me, the master planner. Another lesson in how my plans are really not important at all...




Believe me, I am definitely not trying to complain. And I'm not shocked by how this pregnancy has been a little harder because it is kind of common sense that it would be different this time. It's just comical to me. 


Anyway, of course, it is all worth it, and I know I have nothing to complain about. Carrying a precious life is an unbelievable blessing from the Lord and I honestly am getting a bit sad that the baby kicks inside are coming to an end soon...they are my favorite part! I am forever grateful that God has chosen to bless us with these sweet babies and I cannot help but thank Him for everything that goes along with them! All of the exhausting, wonderful moments.

But I do feel like I should tell my first-time pregnant self that she really had nothing to complain about! Ha!



So, I will try to get on here and blog again before baby Maisy arrives, but if not, I'm sure you understand! And then you can just look forward to another birth story. Because I myself am quite curious about when and how that will happen...





 This was taken on December 1, 2015, one month out from our due date...Maisy Kate, you are more than welcome and wished to be born THIS month!